


Into the Deep Blue

by Wolfie_chan4



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Fluff, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Merbee, Possible smut, Ship, charbee, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25472968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfie_chan4/pseuds/Wolfie_chan4
Summary: It’s a new year and anew hot summer, as Charlie spends it catching waves and diving down the great blue.But her life changes the day she finds a creature of some sort, whom she finds herself drawn to.Heart forever given to the ocean, Charlie finds out there’s more than just the ocean blue out there.
Relationships: Bumblebee and Charlie Watson, Bumblebee/Charlie Watson, charbee - Relationship
Comments: 20
Kudos: 122





	1. Charlie Watson

Listen to the resonance the water makes.

When it hastens and sprints to the shore. 

Smell the salty air around you.

You’ll love it even more. 

Whiteness the rocks.

Watch all of ‘em closely.

You’ll find your peace right there.

After a while when you engross yourself,

You can’t stop to stare.

The loud bursts of her alarm rung throughout the silence of her room, forcing Charlie to awaken. Groaning, her hand moved around till it found the noise maker, slamming her palm on it till it went silent. 

But, that wasn’t how Charlie Watson was gonna start off her early morning, oh no.   
Tiredly, her hand moves to her Sony tape player, pressing the play button.   
The great song of The Smiths started playing “Bigmouth Strikes Again”, boosting Charlie the urge to wake up. Even for a young woman such as herself, Charlie still faced the struggles to wake up in bed. Which is why she found a loophole with her music to give her the extra boost and get her lazy butt out of bed. 

The sun was already flashing its blinding rays through the peeks of her large window view, catching the shine that bounced off the thousands of miles of the ocean view. 

Ah, the beautiful beaches of Monterey Bay, CA. Popular for its local tourist attractions and Aquarium, and one of the many spots a pro surfer likes to catch a few waves. Or even a trip diving in the reefs to see the beauty of what lies below the great blue. 

A great big world lies beneath, and Charlie was all for it. 

She lived in a beach house just up the coast. It’s a small neighborhood area but none were close to each other.   
Her house had a small dock that led out towards the sea. Most park their fancy jet skies along the dock, or their small motor boats to take out and go fishing.   
For 21 years she’s lived in that little house with her mom and little brother, Otis. Only two years ago did her mom’s new husband, Ron, start to live with them. She doesn’t know what her mom see’s in the guy to be honest. 

But that’s not what this is about. 

C'mon folks, let's get back to the real main characters on this.

Picking up her hopeless sleepy self, Charlie made her way to her bathroom to get ready for the day. Carrying her tape player with her, of course. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast today was a glass of milk and a pop tart. Chocolate. 

Meanwhile, she watched her 12 year old brother force large spoonfuls of Lucky Charms in his mouth, drips of milk running down his chin. 

This is why she was thankful she didn’t sit next to him at the dinner table. Though she was the same in a sense, when she massacred a whole plate of drumsticks for a family BBQ. Learned her lesson though around the 23rd piece..

“Charlie”, she looked to her mother who entered the room, “Can you explain to me why your diving trophies were found outside by the trash”?   
She was holding a box that was filled with the said items. Her mother looked upset, knowing her daughter had worked really hard to earn these trophies. 

“Needed to clear some space in my room. I’m 20 now, I don’t really need them”. 

“You’d live to regret doing this, honey”, she sighed. “And, we have an attic for a reason”. 

“I thought you filled that empty space with your old stuff and Otis’s baby crap”?

“Hey”, her brother chimed in, swallowing the large mouthful of cereal he had consumed, “It’s not baby crap. And that stuff will go down in history when I become the #1 secret agent of the world”! He threw his hands up, swiping them in a fighting motion. One he learned in his karate classes from when he was 8. 

“Yeah.. Cause they’ll want your baby photos of you taking a bubble bath with your teletubbies’, she smirked. 

Before he could make a comeback, Charlie was already heading to her room to change. Goodbye household, and hello ocean view!~

“Charlie, we are not done talking about this”!

But she was already closing the door to her room. 

Everyone in the family knew Charlie, but her mom knew her more. Thanks to the unbreakable bond she had with her father, Charlie’s heart was forever bound to the sea and no one else. 

Part of that worried her more, should a time come when Charlie would learn the faithful truth.. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you were at these local beaches right now, the most you’d see are beach babes and big family groups with the overuse of sunscreen. Everyone else is either walking around with food on sticks or participating in an activity, in or out of water. 

Charlie tried to avoid those parts of the beach, but the waves that came in were much larger than the ones near her house. She couldn’t help but have a tinge of jealousy for it.   
She wasn’t much of a social person, even in high school. Then again, high school for her was filled with weirdo’s and jerks. 

With a heavy heart, she stuck to the tides by her home. The small, no great big tunnel tides..

Sun was blinding and blazing hot, which makes it perfect for a day to go out at sea and catch some waves. Better yet to even scuba dive and see what creatures lie below.   
Charlie pitied those who couldn’t stand to even go knee’s deep in the beautiful ocean waters. They were missing out on the beauty it held. 

As she walked to the end of the dock, her feet standing on the wood that stopped at the water level of 5 ft, she gazed out into the great open sea.   
Miles of ocean, seeing the rocks in the far where seals would rest from time to time. Even the gulls rested on the high cliffs where caves were caverned below. 

For a moment she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Listening to the waves crashing, birds screaming. She could feel the warm breeze hitting her face, the small waves of salt water pushing against the wood pillars on the dock. 

It was unexplainable to her how she could describe every detail from memory. How she remembered everything since she was just a child.   
She could tell you the story of her first splash into the ocean. How her father was the one to take her onto the raging waters and great big waves.   
He was her inspiration, her devotion.

Her hands gripped her surfboard more and more, remembering the memories she shared of him. Heart aching to his memory of the last time they stood together and smiled at this ocean's beauty. 

But she didn't lose her focus. Finally opening her eyes, she took a few steps back before taking a leap into the water. Her surfboard forward, she burst out the water, taking a deep breath. Cold dripping down the body of her suit, touching the board that floated atop the ocean surface.  
She could see it ahead. The great waves, calling her name. 

Arm flying up, she pushes forward out to the sea. A determined surfer.


	2. The Unknown

She huffed in annoyance.   
It probably had been a good solid hour that she was sitting on her board waiting for a decent sized wave to come through her area. She’d even glance over to the far distance, seeing the beach. Seeing the millions of human beings, and the surfers who got their great big waves coming in. 

“Joke’s on them”, she says to herself, “Their skin is probably all wrinkled by now..”. 

Since when did she care about skin care?  
Even by herself, she couldn’t think of any comebacks. 

Sighing to herself, she was prepared to just head back and just go snorkeling. 

But in the corner of her eye, she saw something through the rocks in the distance. She was a good 20-30 ft away, but she could see something. It wasn’t a seal, but it was a tail of some sort. She placed her hand over her eyes, blocking the sun's rays to get a better glimpse. 

In clear, she saw more of what could be made out.   
Definitely a tail, fish like. Couldn’t be anything large like an orca, it’s too hot for the summer time. And there was no news of an orca migration.   
Maybe a dolphin?

Either way, it was caught in something.   
Charlie wasn’t about to leave it be. If her dad taught her anything, approach with caution at best so you can make out the situation. And remember to phone in a marine rescue if the situation is worse. 

She paddled her way over, along with keeping her surroundings clear.   
Anything can distract her and knock her off balance. 

The rocks weren't anything too small or looked dangerous.   
She could easily step onto the flat surfaces of one of them, bringing her surfboard up as well so it wouldn’t float away. 

She looked back at the animal before her, only making out it’s tail. Maybe it was still below the other sea side. Hopefully alive. Now that she was closer, she could see some cuts and scratches it had along its tail. 

Poor thing.. She thought. 

It was a peeve of hers to see the ocean with pieces of trash floating around. Especially things like old fishing nets or fish hooks stuck on a fish’s body. 

Thankfully her suit came with a zipper pocket. She kept her pocket knife in it for safety reasons. And to keep Otis from getting his hands on it, considering he broke the last one…

As she drew closer, she started noticing more details to the tail.   
Markings of white on the underside, like any usual dolphin, but the backside was a very dark grey. Almost black even. And there were some markings of ...yellow?

As the questions started forming in her head, she saw the tail flick a bit. It was alive!

But, her eyes had moved up from the tail fins, and caught something shining.. 

Or so she thought. 

It was the creature's head, partly peaking up.   
She noticed it’s eyes.. They were blue. Like two glowing sapphires in a dark cavern. 

She felt her heart leap in surprise. Then this creature started to move, revealing itself.   
It was quite large, but not too big like an orca whale. Or small like a dolphin.   
Charlie backed away, her heels scrapping a bit on the rock she was perched on.   
She kept scooting back, heart racing and breaths heaving in fear.   
Whatever this creature was, it managed to get itself atop the rock in front of Charlie, tangling the net more around some smaller rocks. It’s voice was thrilling, but soft. It sounded distressed and scared. 

It looked almost in a humanoid form, with a neck and shoulders and pectorals. And.. arms? Large ones with small fin-like forms on the forearms. It had an odd looking head. A snout, almost like a seal, but small and a rather smooth/sharp like chin. It’s tell looked sharp like, which meant this thing could possibly eat meat.. like a shark. 

Both Charlie and this creature shared the same feeling.   
Fear.   
Scared of one another at this very moment.   
She didn’t know what to do in the process of this. She tried to steady her breathing, hoping it wasn’t prokoving it. 

She started making out more of it’s markings along its body. They were strange, but the colors keep reminding her of a familiar bug that comes around her house at this time of year. 

Soon, she felt her body start to relax, finally processing that of what was before her.   
It seemed to relax a bit as well, seeing as Charlie didn’t look so frightened anymore.   
She took this chance to try and move closer, sliding her feet ever so slowly forward.

She tried to control her heart rate when it’s hands came up, showing sharp claw-like fingers that gripped onto the rocks. It was trying to move itself more, getting somewhat closer to Charlie, but to no prevail with the net tangled on the rocks. 

Charlie kept questioning if this creature was possibly from another planet. Or was it another creature that was hidden in the dark depths of the ocean, along with other creatures from the dinosaur era?   
Part of her was also believing this was a creature that came from the lost city of Atlantis.. 

But, it had to be impossible. Those were only but tales sailors told the youngsters to put ideas in their heads. It may have worked on her when she was 4, but now her mind had a bigger aspect of thought and history. 

Getting closer, she started to make out the netting as it was tangled around his fins and tail. Part of its upper body was free from the tangles, but it still draped over its head and arms.   
Her eyes met its glowing blue one’s, biting her lower lip to try and think of an approach that wouldn’t scare or show a sign of threatening.   
Maybe she could try talking? Not knowing if this creature also spoke, but hopefully it could understand her. 

“H-hey there..”, she spoke calmly, “I’m Charlie”.  
It’s eyes looked curiously at her, wiggling its snout in a sniff. It gave a thrilled noise in return. 

Charlie guessed that it could have been trying to call for help to anyone, as the nets were tangled in a worsened situation. She started to wonder how long it was in this mess, scared, hurt,... alone?

She moved carefully, its eyes watching her in caution and curiously.   
She had to distract it somehow. Not knowing what kind of appetite this creature had, she wanted to assume it was plants. Maybe… Seaweed?   
She looked back on some rocks, catching some strips of the said sea plant. Moving slowly, she grabbed as much as she could in her hand, holding it up to it.

It’s head tilted, giving a curious thrill as its ears flickered before it lowered its head to smell the plant in her hand. 

Now that Charlie was closer, she could see how ginormous this thing was, triple the size of a human Charlie was.   
But she felt a tinge of relief when it started eating the seaweed from her palm. She slowly moved her hand down, setting the seaweed on the rock before her, now having it fully distracted. 

As that happened, she moved carefully, reaching for the zipper of her suit that healed the small pocket knife. She hoped the creature would be distracted long enough for her to cut it loose from the netting.   
She had to move carefully while it was distracted.   
Very carefully, she gripped the knife in its support, starting to rip the net upwards. In success she cut a few strands loose. She looked back to the creature, making sure it didn’t notice.   
Relieved as she saw it was still eating the seaweed, not seeming to notice. 

It was like that scene in How to Train your Dragon with Toothless getting a new tail.

As she was going back, cutting a little more strands loose, she felt the creature's tail jump causing her to pull back.   
It seemed to have taken notice of what she was doing, and did not like the object she was holding in her hand.   
It let out a loud hissing sound, baring its teeth at her. It’s ears were pinned in the look of defense/anger while its teeth looked in between sharp and dulled. 

So much happened in that moment.   
As Charlie stilled her movement she had gripped the knife on it’s blade, causing it to make a small cut from the end of her thumb and shortly on her palm. She felt it sting, showing pain on her expression as she held her hands up. She wanted to ease this creature from thinking she’s a threat and only trying to help it. 

“Woah there, woah”, she exclaimed. 

So focused on the situation, neither saw the incoming wave that was heaving towards Charlie’s direction. It wasn’t till she finally noticed as it crashed into her, sweeping her and her board off the rock and rolling towards the open sea around her. 

As it was happening, she took the chance to cover her head so she wouldn’t hit it against anything. Something she was taught should anything like this happen out at sea.   
Thrashing under the dark cold salt waters, she felt the burning sensation of her hand from it’s injury. Blood was seeping up into the water, and who knew if this creature would be triggered by the scent. She still didn't know what else it ate. 

She tried opening her eyes, trying not to think about her hand or the burning sensation in her chest, longing for oxygen.   
She felt herself sinking more and more from the waves crashing down and needed to take action. Trying to get herself in the right direction, she felt her heart stop when she noticed the creature in the dark looming over her, moving quickly in her direction. 

It felt like her lungs were on fire. 

She tried kicking to motion herself away, but nothing was prevailing.   
It wasn’t long till she felt herself being grabbed and pulled in a direction.   
In fear, she opened her mouth to scream, watching as the bubbles of air left her mouth. Her only limit of oxygen left her lungs.


	3. Bumblebee

Bursting through the surface, Charlie held herself close in the creature’s.. arms? She gasped as they emerged, feeling her lungs finally filling with air and coughing up the bitter salt water that stung her throat. 

As the creature swam forward to a surface of rock, Charlie found herself surprised and shocked as she looked down at the creature's arms that held her. Not in a way that a robber holds onto a hostage, but protectively. 

Still coughing up water, it moved towards the ledge of the rock placing her on top.   
Charlie found herself on her side, panting heavily. Her eyes soon locked onto its glowing blue eyes. It’s body was below the water, but it kept its gaze on her. 

Once she caught her breath, she sat up, keeping her gaze on the other.   
It gave a soft thrilled chip at her, tilting its head a bit. It kept a short distance from her, but not too far. 

She could see its eyes switching from her and her pocket knife she still held on. Even when she moved her hand, it gave a low growl like before. Charlie got the idea, gently tossing the object away from them both.   
She held her hands back up, hoping she’d gain its trust again. 

“I shouldn’t have done that.. “, she said calmly, making its growling so quiet. “You didn’t trust me yet.. I need you to trust me”. 

It’s head tilted a bit, but it started to understand her and what she was trying to do before. 

“Can you trust me..”?

The creature locked it’s eyes back onto her, then looked to her hands.   
Both with small scraps from the fall, and her palm dripping a pinch of blood.   
Slowly, it swam forth, pushing itself up unto the rock she was positioned on. It used its hands to push up, surprising Charlie in a sitting position with its tail curved a bit in the water. Charlie could see the net was still caught on its fins, relieved that her help from before managed to get it somewhat loosened free. 

But she kept her eyes on the other. 

It seemed to sniff her hands from afar, and Charlie hoped it would mean something good.   
And she was right. 

It leaned its head down, resting in her un-injured hand and giving a soft “Brrrr” purring.   
Charlie felt relief in her chest, relaxing her tensed muscles as it stayed that way. She was very amazed by its actions. Though she didn’t know what kind of creature this was, thousands of questions flooded her mind. But that stopped when she felt something wet and rough against her other hand. 

To her surprise, the creature had its hand supporting hers as its tongue lapped at her wound, as if it felt remorse for what happened earlier. 

“Woah..”, she said surprisingly. Though it felt weird, like a cat’s tongue, but softer.. and a bit slimy. Charlie didn’t think of it though, being the sort of tomboy she was something like this didn’t seem to bother her.   
She watched as it once again nuzzled its face into her hands after it’s action. It gave her a chance to look more at it’s body anatomy. 

Though it’s tail form looked similar to a dolphins, it was interesting that it had the markings of an orca whale. The coloration was also baffling. The caudal fin and its under markings were black, while its belly was a light grayish white. But a little above its belly was yellow, kinda like the yellow paint on a camaro. It had more black markings around its eyes and a grey snout. All around it’s head was yellow, almost looking like a helmet with yellow ears and a black diamond spot in the middle of its forehead. As her eyes started to trail its body, past the oddly muscular abs it had, she quickly averted her eyes. 

Yep, that confirmed it was male. 

She tried to look elsewhere, and just on que, her eyes landed on what looked like a star look-alike scar on his neck. Just right on its throat.   
She wondered how he could have gotten such an injury like that. Maybe another creature like him? Or something else?

She moved her hand towards it, but pulled back a bit when his ears lowered like before. His snout gave a small snarl.   
She tried to calm him back down.   
“Hey.. hey” she said in a soft tone. “I won’t hurt you.. I promise”.

He seemed to understand her, but didn’t want her to touch that spot.   
It moved its head to her hand, letting her rest it upon his cheek. She gave a gentle smile, carefully petting his head.   
He gave another “brred” sound, then stopped and gazed at her with his bright blue gemstone eyes.   
She seemed alarmed by them, the beauty they seemed to hold in such a creature.   
It seemed.. happy?

Truly, this was a moment that was very amazing. Surreal even.

This was the moment that Charlie had gained his trust.

Her gaze fell back on the netting, watching it flow around the water as the large ripples from the tides pushed it against the rocks. She looked back at the other, trying to figure out a way to free him. But it wasn’t going to be easy when he didn't like her pocket knife. But, she could try untangling his fins from its tangle and pull it free. 

Keeping her hand resting atop its head, she kept her eyes upon him while she slowly moved closer to his tail. But it took notice of her movement, and flattened its ears again. This time though, it didn't snarl at her. Guess it was some form of progress between them. 

At least Charlie hoped so..

“It’s okay”, she reassured him.   
Thinking of how he would possibly react, she took this chance to quickly grab the net and pulled it towards the direction of the end of his tail.   
He jumped a bit in surprise, but was wiggling around rather happily in excitement. He must have figured out what she was doing and was filled with glee, but his change of behavior made it a bit difficult for her to pull the rest off. 

Eventually though, she was able to free his tail entirely. 

He wiggled his tail more, making short splashes and giving happy thrills. He dove back into the water, swimming around the rock to his renewed freedom till he came about, looking at her with his brightened eyes and perked up ears. 

She smiled happily, still holding onto the net so it wouldn’t float away as a small wave came through. 

“Feels good to be free again, huh”?

He gave another delightful “brrr”, coming back to the rock. 

Charlie smiled. It felt good to do good deeds like this, even for the unknown creatures of the sea. 

But soon her mind went elsewhere.   
Keeping her grip on the net, her head was turning left and right. She gazed out to the sea, till it hit her.

“My board is gone..”.

He turned his head to her after swimming around. His expression went from delightful and chirpy to confused and concerned. Seeing Charlie looking about, he watched her eyes fall behind to the dock from where she came. 

It would be a very tiresome mile to swim back, especially with her injury, which she hadn’t noticed was healed a bit thanks to the other. And carrying a net. 

She had to think this through.   
So distracted by her thoughts, she didn’t notice the other swimming about. He didn’t seem to go off from where he came, rather he stayed by her side.. In a way. 

Making another thrilled noise, but in a sort of annoyance tone, he pushed himself back up on the rock, nudging her with his head.   
Even in sitting, he was as tall as her hip level.   
She looked down at him as he kept nudging his snout on her. It made Charlie laugh a little, catching herself off guard. 

“What is it”? She kneeled down on the rock, gently petting his smooth head.   
His ears perked up, giving off some happy “brrr’s”. 

“Attention, huh?”, she laughed a bit. “Now that you’re free”?

He gave another happy thrilled noise, earning into her touch. How her hands were gentle to him.   
Her head gave a tilt, studying the details of his face like it was the last she’d see it.   
“Your chirps and colors remind me of a bumblebee’s”. 

He lifted his head, perking his ears up to that word.  
“..Bumblebee?”, she says again.   
He perks even more, his eyes widening and tail swishing in delight. Charlie couldn’t help but give a soft giggle. 

“You like that name”?

Once again, he gave a happy thrill to her.   
“Then I'll call you that”, she says. Putting her hand on his chest, her fingers gently touching his upper muscle. “Bumblebee”. 

He pointed at himself, giving another “brrr”!

She smiled, then placed her hand on her chest. “I’m Charlie”.   
Seeing her hand on her chest had him understand that it was her name. His eyes were glowing softly as he stared at her. For that moment, he was very relaxed in her presence. She was the first human being to him that gained his trust.

She resumed to give his head gentle petting, making Bumblebee thrill in glee. He was liking the affection she was giving to him. So much that he even tried to return the affection, he used his hand to ruffle up her hair.   
‘What are you- oh, okay”.   
Squinting as Bumblebee ruffled her hair up, asking it all messy and tangled than it was before. But, she liked the effort in him trying to copy her. 

She smiled a bit, huffing a strip of her hair out her eyes. 

“Thank you”.

So many questions and thoughts running through her mind, but her eyes kept jumping from Bumblebee to the docks. He took notice of her drifting, his ears dropping low.   
He didn’t want her to go so soon. He gave out a low “brrr”, lowering his head down onto the rock near Charlie’s thighs. 

“Hmm? What’s the matter”?  
Concerned something is wrong with him, she moved closer, her feet dipped into the water on the edge and gently rubbed his head. Her thumb grazing over the small grey spot. 

“What is it Bee”?

Thinking it was another display of affection, Bumblebee moved his head on her thighs. His tail kept swaying in a rhythm with the ocean as his hands gripped onto the ledge to keep himself near. 

Charlie studied him. Closeness? Looks sad? Avoiding eye contact?   
She tried looking in the direction of where his eyes were, only to figure out what the situation was. 

“Ohh, Bumblebee..”, sadness in her voice. “I know you want me to stay, but I can’t”.   
He seemed to understand her from her tone, nuzzling his head more into her thighs. So much that her legs were becoming red from the pressure. Anymore and his little chompers would poke her skin.   
“I’m a human, Bee. I can’t breathe underwater like you do”. She sifted in her spot, making him move away. Spots on her thighs were red from his chin and cheeks from the applied pressure. He looked up at her, still humming a sad thrill. 

“I need to go home. And you should too”, she gestured her hand towards the beach in the far distance. “If people were to see you, they’d take you away from here. Bad people, who’d probably bring you to a lab and hurt you”.

She didn’t want to get into detail of what the government would do. Not even Charlie liked the idea of what they’d do to him. 

“.. But, that doesn’t mean this is the last time we’ll meet”, she said, trying to brighten up the mood.   
Bumblebee seemed to understand her words because his head was perked up.   
“Brrr”?

She smiles as she stands up. “Yeah! I can meet you here again(Once I find my board, that is..). Can you trust me on that Bee”?

Overwhelmed with a happy feeling, he nods and thrills happily.

“Alright”, she says. “Now I need to figure out how to get back home..”. 

Without even a hesitation, Bumblebee swims around, facing his back to her. Charlie looked back at him before realizing what he was intending.   
“You want me to ride on your back”?

He gives another “Brrr!”, confirming her question. 

It was an odd suggestion, and she had never ridden on the back of any creature of any kind. Not even a pony at the fairgrounds.. But it seemed like the best option if she wanted to get back. 

She stepped carefully, her body sinking lower into the ocean water as she climbed up on his back. She struggled a bit to position herself as he was already moving forward away from the rocks. She would feel her cheeks flare red when he’d press forward causing her to slip back and having her rear pushed against his dorsal fin. Bumblebee would seem bothered by it, but for Charlie, well~..

She kept a firm hold onto him as so she didn’t slip off or get pushed back again. But she couldn’t help but enjoy the moment.   
The feeling of the water flowing through her legs, splashing up at her when Bee dove a bit down lower into the water. The gentle winds blowing by, like a melody in her ears and whipping her strands of hair. The sunset made the sky coat in a beautiful orange color, one that reminded her of an Orange Creamsicle.   
Her hand rested along his back as the other floated and flowed with the wind. The same way one does in a moving car.

Bumblebee wanted to dive down deeper, showing her a much bigger world than the sky above, but kept himself to remind that Charlie was human. And humans don’t have gills like he does. 

He wished she did..

They eventually got to the docks, Bumblebee helping Charlie climb above. After, he just floated there, watching her sit up on the dock, happy to be back on land. 

“Thank you, Bumblebee” she said, smiling down at him. 

He gave a soft thrill, dipping himself deeper in the ocean. To him, this was goodbye…  
Charlie could see he was unhappy to depart from her. She reached her hand down to him, giving his dome another gentle petting.   
It filled Bumblebee with glee, pushing up in her touch, almost nuzzling into her touch. 

“I promise”, she says, “I’ll find you again out there. But, don’t let anyone else see you Bumblebee.. Just me”. 

His eyes looked up at hers, seeing her smile down at him. 

Bumblebee pushed himself up to her level on the dock, gently nudging his dome to her forehead. Charlie was surprised, feeling her cheeks make a small blush.   
This action of his meant something. That Charlie was becoming someone special to him.   
He held this position for a moment before going back down into the water and swimming off.   
Charlie watched as he swam off, back into the deep blue. 

She wondered to herself, if he was all alone out there. Was that why he didn’t want her to leave? 

She wouldn’t know these things till another interaction with him. But one this was for sure, 

He was gonna be on her mind everyday. 

Now…. What about her surfboard?


	4. Tape player

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small Note: So there’s no confusion, let me inform you future readers. IRL I have only seen the Transformers movies, Bumblebee, and Transformers:RID (Season 1 on Netflix) So, if you happen to see some characters in this series who haven’t been seen together in their fandoms, remember this. :)   
> Enjoy!

‘I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, 

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, 

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking, 

And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.’

Departing from the dock, Bumblebee watched as he sunk deeper into the ocean that Charlie didn’t take her eyes off him till he turned around and swam away. 

His first interaction with a human being..

Optimus heeded many warnings to all of the human race, seeing as what they do to the creatures out and about the ocean, it would be a danger for their kind if they went noticed. 

Bumblebee knew that, yet, meeting Charlie..  
She didn’t show any signs of danger towards him. Rather, seeing his existence was a shock to her as he was seeing a human up close for the first time. And he was in no condition to escape, being caught in the dark webs he called, seeing Humans use these particular objects to pull fish out of the sea. 

But not Charlie..

She used some sort of sharp tool he wasn’t familiar with and broke the webbing to set him free.   
But, how she acted towards him even if they were departing, she was sparking a sort of feeling in his chest. It was unexplainable. Maybe he could ask Ratchet.. 

Swimming farther out into the deep sea, he made aware of his surroundings. Even in the deep blue, there were many creatures like Bumblebee, he’d even call them an enemy. 

Bumblebee was a part of a large pod in the sea in which they called themselves “Auto-Fins”. They were a race of sea life that lived in equal peace, avoiding war and maintaining a peaceful distance from human existence.

As others thought opposite of them, wanting to believe power is stronger than equality.

They called themselves “Decepti-claws”. They were a large pod of those who wanted to destroy the peace that others built up. They live in the depths of the ocean where the shadows of the reefs are casted into darkness. 

They were the same race as Bumblebee and his pod. Their difference was only their beliefs. 

That’s why he always took an awareness to his surroundings. If any saw where his territory entrance was, well… The big blue sea would become red..

That’s why Optimus created a way to keep his pod safe and hidden. 

As Bumblebee made his way through a few reefs, he came to a stop at what looked to be very large coral and rocks. He placed his hand along the wall of it, watching the area around his hand glow blue, along with a small spark like glow in the same color come from the center of his chest. 

Only an Auto-Fin could do this ability, because it was the only way one could get into their territory.   
The wall started to transform, a large gaping hole opening wide to Bumblebee’s size in proportion. With that, he pushed forward, swimming through the cavern. As his tail fins came through, the wall sealed back to what it was before. 

You think those stories of “The Lost city of Atlantis” you’d find on google were great? Yeah, right. 

This place was more than what you could think. Crumbled stone of what once was a large city, but filled with all the life of the sea and those who were like Bumblebee. Not the same species as him, but.. you know. 

All around his homeland his friends were living their usual lives. He enjoyed seeing them up and about when they weren’t on scouting duty. Especially Ironhide and Jazz, who were always butting heads (and tails) for a bunch of sharks.  
Bee kept himself out of it, being a dolphin species and not really liking to be a roughhouser. But he still loved his companions. 

Before he would head to the cavern he called home, he would go visit Ratchet.   
In his last fight, Bumblebee took damage to his throat from a Decepti-claw which caused damage to his vocals. But it was a long time ago, with the star-like scar now healed. But, even in other fights he was in against his enemy, this one left much trauma..

Having a check-up from Ratchet helped, but he couldn’t bring himself to try and talk again. Last time in his attempt, it was all scratchy and rough. In human terms, he sounded like a garbage disposal on glass and nails…

He made his way into a small temple where Ratchet spent most of his time, like a work space. Or in your old high school terms, the nurse’s office. 

The temple was covered in all herbs and bottles filled with medicine, along with tools carved from coral to make use for medical treatments like patching a wound or removing shards of whatever the other was impaled with. 

Ratchet was a species of Beluga whale, but he also had markings of red along his body, kind of like the Red Cross on a First-Aid kit. 

Ratchet looked to have finished making more medicine of his own creation, many for the different species of their pod.   
He looked over to Bumblebee, giving a friendly smile to him.   
“Ah, my friend, have you come for another check in”?

Bee nodded to his question. 

“I see. Well, I think I’ve concocted some medicine that should help your vocals. I still think you should try speaking, even the short words of your vocabulary”.   
Ratchet watched as Bee’s expression changed, from neutral to tensed and frightened. 

He had to keep pushing Bumblebee to try, but he knew the trauma behind the scar would never leave him. Ratchet had been taking it one step at a time with Bumblebee, hoping he would eventually grow from what happened and become stronger from it.   
All warriors grow from experience. Even the worst kinds.

“You’ll get there soon, my friend”, he says. 

Bumblebee didn’t doubt his words, not one bit. But even in this moment, his mind was elsewhere, thinking of someone. 

And she wasn’t leaving his mind any second.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let me spell it out for you.

G-R-O-U-N-D-E-D

Need a definition? 

That’s right folks. Charlie Watson was grounded. She’d argue the fact that she was 20 years old and didn’t need to be treated like a child, but she was still living under the same roof as her mom. 

She did lose her surfboard and took an injury on herself instead of trying to be careful.   
Thankfully she had a good cover story. I mean, she couldn’t tell them about Bumblebee. They’d either think she was lying or just being crazy. Or she took on a concussion, which has happened more than once.. 

But, being grounded in her terms meant a curfew for going outside, no going out at sea with the boat, and no surfing.   
Which didn’t make sense because she lost her only board. That only meant she’d have to think of something to purchase another one, but surfboards these days. Go for more than they should. And it was due to the sport being very popular out here at The Bay. And whoever was selling them based on their design. 

A board is a board. 

Details shouldn't have to cost more, in her opinion. 

She huffed in annoyance as she looked afar, watching the most beautiful and biggest waves come crashing down. How she wanted to be out there, going through the tunnels. 

The longing for a surf was killing her. 

But, she was spending her time on the dock, sitting at the end in her torn up jean shorts and a red sports crop. She didn’t care much about her image, being at it was 103* Hot as Hell. Her standard was never to wear a bikini. She can settle for a two piece suit if she must, but she was never going to find herself in swimwear that made her butt cheeks pop out or the top not covering her badonk-a-donks enough. 

It was bad enough she saw some middle aged women wearing those sort of things.. Oh god the nightmares…

But, she found a better way of spending her time on shore. 

Sitting on the dock, she brought her old recorder that still played tapes of her favorite bands. Right now it was playing “Things Can Only Get Better” by Howard Jones.

Seemed like the right choice in her situation.

She had other tapes with her, most being Rock n Roll or songs of the summer. Time back in the 80’s. 

Her leg was swinging on the side, flowing and moving along with the water that swished around the posts of the dock.   
Her raggedy hair flowed in the gentle breeze that came around once in a while, nice and cool, perfect on a hot day.

Really getting into her own world, she was brought back when she saw one of her neighbors coming down the dock.   
Catching a glimpse at who it was, it turned out to be the boy who lived across from her house. Charlie didn’t really know his name, but she’d see him once in a while. Whether it was when she was grabbing the mail, going on a ride on her Moped bike, or the docks she would catch a glimpse of him. 

And he’d look back at her, giving a smile. It looked a bit awkward, but Charlie just shrugged it off. It’s not like he was gonna do anything else.. she thought.  
He gave a friendly wave at her, in which she waved back in a “meh” kind of way. 

She watched as he got onto a boat with someone else. Could be his dad, or an uncle. Either way, Charlie watched them drive off and out into the sea. 

‘Wish I could be out at sea..’, she thought to herself. 

Giving a heavy sigh, she threw her other leg off the edge, letting the tips of her feet touch the ocean and listened to her sweet sweet music. 

But, she found herself sitting up in a quick motion when she felt a hard and smooth surface push on her feet. In a jump, she pushed her feet up and looked down. From surprise, her face lit up in glee. 

“My board”!

And of course, peering from behind the surfboard that he held up was none other than Bumblebee. He gave a cheerful “Brrr!” as he pushed the board towards her more. Charlie leaned down on her stomach, taking the board and bringing it up on the docks. She wasn’t losing it again, 

“How-where did you- “, she was overwhelmed with happiness to have her board back. She smiled down at Bumblebee. “Thank you”. 

Bee gave another thrilled chirp, splashing his tail a bit. 

Charlie looked around the area, making sure there wasn’t anyone else in sight to see them. Bee noticed, but didn’t think about it and tried jumping up on the dock. Surprising Charlie to his action, and to watch him slip from the attempt. 

“Woah! Bumblebee”! 

After a few attempts, he just sulks in the water, his cheeks looking a little red. Charlie gave a soft laugh, feeling bad that he couldn’t get himself up. She shifted herself on the dock, reaching her hand down.   
“Here”. 

Bee took a moment, looking at her hands before he moved his own into them. His ears perked up, finding himself lost in her touch. Even more as she guided his hands up, having his arms and upper body follow.   
Charlie was sitting on the edge of the dock, making it easier for Bee. She even guided his arms to wrap around her so they’d be pressed on the dock behind her. Though at a certain angle, you’d think his arms were purposely around her waist. 

Finally closer to her, Bumblebee softly trilled in delight. After having a session with Ratchet, he was happy to see Charlie again. 

Charlie could practically see sparkles in his eyes. Metaphorically. 

“Where did you find my board?”, she asked. 

Bee didn’t really answer, except resting his chin in her lap and continuing to give soft thrills, better than saying this humanoid dolphin-creature was purring since he wasn’t a cat or anything.

“Bee?”, she lifted his chin a bit, giving his dome a gentle petting. “Can you talk, like me..”?

His expression changed, ears dropping a bit. But, since he understood her, his answer was a head shake ‘no’. 

“But, you can understand me?”

He nods. 

“.. Do you speak a different language than I do”?

He gives an ‘Eh’ kind of shrug. More like saying ‘maybe/so-so’.   
Her eyes drifted down, looking at his scar again. 

“.. Is this why you can't talk”?

Bee didn’t really answer, rather looked away while resting his head on her thigh making it squish more.   
Charlie could tell he was sensitive about it. “I’m sorry. I won’t ask”. 

Breaking the silence, Bee jumped when he heard the tape player change it’s song. It was a bit more of a bounce, Charlie recognizing it as “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede. 

“It’s okay”, she stops the tape. “It’s music”. 

Bumblebee knew what music was, but this was “Human” music, and it was different from what his pod had. But he was curious, tilting his head at the small device. Charlie smiled, letting Bumblebee sink back in the water as she changed the tape. 

“Let’s try something.. more smooth”. She put in a different tape, in which it started playing “Come and Get your Love” by Redbone. 

Bee seemed to like the melody, bouncing his head a bit. Charlie found it cute, smiling at him. “You like this one”?

They listened to it for a while before she stopped it. “Let’s hear another one”.   
She pulled out a Smiths tape, thinking he may like a band she likes. Pressing play it started to play “Girlfriend in a Coma”. 

She bounced her head a little to the beat, however, Bumblebee didn’t seem interested in the song. Something about the lyrics he didn’t like. But Charlie didn’t pay attention as she was getting in the zone. 

Bee made his ears flatten, giving a bit of a glare. 

Next thing they knew, a splash was made at Charlie. Snapping her out of the zone, slightly drenched, she looked down at Bee who kept the same expression. 

“What? Not a Smiths fan”?   
Shaking the drops of water off her tape player, she exchanged the tape for a new one. “Let’s try something else”. Once again, she clicks play, and-

“Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down-“

This time she was more drenched in salt water. She turned the tape player off, looking at Bumblebee with a slight pout.   
It changed a bit when she saw Bee giving what sounded like.. laughter?

She gave a gentle smile, wiping water off her cheek. It made her happy to see Bumblebee like this. 

Most of the day was spent here, a girl sitting on a dock with her fish friend. 

Bumblebee was back in position, arms around her behind and his head resting in her lap. And of course, Charlie was gently petting his head. She’d even tease him a little and poke one of his ears, which made him give a high pitch thrill and splash his tail around. It made her laugh, but eventually she stopped and resumed to pet him. 

Something about this felt so calm and relaxing. 

“Charlie”!!

Both of them jumped when they heard someone calling her name. Charlie knew the voice. 

“Mom..”, she sighed. Looking back down at Bumblebee, he could see her expression was sad. But she still smiled.   
“Sorry Bee, I have to go home now. You should too”. She gave his dome one more gentle petting.   
“I’ll see you again, okay”?

He didn’t want this day to end. The petting, the music, and playful teasing. 

The poor thing was so hooked on the human girl. 

“Thanks again, for returning my board”. 

Seeing her so happy filled him with delight. He watched as she picked herself up, her hand slowly leaving his cheek. 

But, she promised to see him again. 

The day was long, and he could use some rest. But, something in his mind was working him up. How she reacted when he gave her the board.. 

Poor Charlie didn’t know what she was about to get into. But she wasn’t ready for what her future would hold. 

Trust me folks, this is only the beginning~


	5. “Everybody’s gone Surfin’. Sirfin’ USA~”

‘It roars like a lion,

Yet so calm and sincere,

Like a refined diamond.

Much beauty lurks here.’

You can guess that everyday, Charlie and Bumblebee would meet up. 

The bond between a human and Auto-fin was strong, knowing nothing could break it’s boundaries.   
Charlie started to learn more about Bumblebee. Learning that, like a dolphin, he likes to eat fish, squid, and jellyfish. But from time to time he’d snack on seaweed when he couldn’t find any of his appetite. Oddly enough, she also discovered he liked pop tarts. Mainly strawberry. 

She also learned the things he hated, such as large motor boats, fishing hooks and netting, and crab. If Bumblebee could talk, he’d tell Charlie that while there were species of crab like him, the other kind are evil little mother *beep beeper*.

And they tasted terrible. And DON’t get him started on lobster!

But he made angry noises when she’d mention them, which made her laugh. 

Within the month, Bumblebee took any chance he could to sneak out of his home world to go see her. Though he didn’t realize that some of his comrades were starting to notice and become suspicious. 

One of them, Arcee, a sea lion and one of the guards around their territory, was planning to follow Bumblebee. But she had to inform Optimus. 

Watching Bumblebee leave through one of the entrances, she swam towards the location to where Optimus was.   
Though it felt wrong to snitch out one of her loyal companions, she only worried for his safety. And the safety of their pod. 

But Bumblebee was in the tides. Wanting to get closer and closer to Charlie. Dreaming of her in the sea with him, swimming around, showing her the beauty below the surface of the ocean. 

How he wished there was a way she could, but she WAS human. Humans needed air more than anything. The ocean prevents that.. 

But, he thought of a way to give her a chance to see what lies below. 

She was at one of their spots for a meet up, which happened to be a flat rock surface. Similar to the one where they first met, but around calmer waves of the ocean. No more being knocked out into the water. 

She used her board this time, after giving it a clean up from when he found it. She also equipped an ankle strap, that way she would lose the board. Though, she had to be careful at the same time since these things were also dangerous if you’re caught in some rough waves. 

She was sitting on the rock, looking out at the gorgeous ocean and watched the waves coming in and going towards the local beach.   
The way the wave rose up, shimmering it’s vibrant blue with thousands of sparkles from the sun's reflection. The sea foam of the waves pushing forward, guiding the water to form the perfect tunnel. Gravity kept pushing and pushing the water towards the land, letting it’s tides get smaller till a new one arises from behind. 

She damned herself for her addiction. The ocean was her drug, and made her come into a comatose. 

She could see the beach from afar, seeing how many people were walking along the sand or in the water. Since it was coming to a dawn lighting in the sky, local surfers would bring themselves in and call it a day. Not a lot liked taking on the waves in the afternoon. And it’s very dangerous to go surfing at night. 

Which is why she didn’t worry for anyone to notice her out and about, and of course seeing Bumblebee. 

“He is taking a while. I think it wouldn't hurt to catch a few waves”.   
Smiling to herself, she adjusts the strap on her ankle and heads towards the middle of the ocean. She saw a large wave coming up behind another. Taking a deep breath, she grips her board as she dives below.   
She could feel the pressure of the crashing wave coming down against her back and legs, guiding her down more as she kicked up, guiding her board to the surface. 

One thing she liked about spending her whole life at the ocean, her eyes adjusted enough for her to open them while simurged below. She didn’t even need scuba goggles. 

But every time she opened her eyes, she couldn’t look away from what she saw below.   
A great blue Oasis, making out all the details of a coral reef that was 10 ft below. Ocean life moving along with the rhythms of the ocean waves. She could count the fish that swam below, including a few starfish that rested along the rocks. 

She wanted to be a part of this world. 

Yet, it was hard to keep holding her breath in. For a moment, she would forget. She’d lose track of time for how long she was holding it in. As if she was breathing below the surface.

The burst from the ocean water was too great, letting her gasp softly for air, feeling the water drip down her face. The sun was setting soon and yet it’s light could still blind her.   
Her determination was strong, pushing her arms out one by one in a single stroke, swimming out more and more. The view of the beach was growing smaller and smaller. 

She stopped for a moment, seeing an incoming wave from afar.   
Charlie could feel her heart racing, feeling the rush of adrenaline spike through her veins. Not even the cold ocean was making her body numb. 

Coming from afar, recognizing the surfboard was Bee, swimming towards her direction. 

He kept his eye on Charlie as she was coming closer to the large wave.   
Bumblebee had seen her surf a few times, yet he still grew worried as the giant waves came towards her. Even when she had control of it, floating and riding the waves like a pro surfer, there were times when she almost flew off. He didn’t want to see her get hurt, or almost drown like she almost did in their first interaction. 

Watching her pick her legs up and out the water, he followed along the current of the wave, following alongside as it formed its tunnel. Charlie smiled, balancing herself as she felt the board starting to drop forward and drift along the tunnel walls. 

She kept herself in balance as she watched the tunnel curve around her, trapping her inside. But she was okay. She smiled as she looked around, seeing the beautiful blue water surrounding her. 

Her smile grew when she turned her head to the right, seeing you know who is following her in the tunnels current. 

“Bumblebee”! 

She couldn’t hear it, but he let out a delighted thrill when she noticed him. 

She smiled, keeping herself in balance as she put her hand up on the ocean wall of the tunnel, watching the water flow with her fingers.   
Then, she lost her focus on the tunnel, looking at Bumblebee as he brought his hand up to hers. In perfect time and balance, his palm slightly touched hers, but her fingers were along his.   
Her hand was small compared to his. Both of them were in perfect sync, not taking their eyes off the others hand.   
Eventually, Charlie looked forward at the tunnel, surprising herself as she was at the end.   
She was so focused on his touch, she lost the interest in where she was. 

In all her life, something like that has never happened. 

Drifting out to a calmer tide, she kneeled herself back down on her board. Bumblebee swam up to her side, giving her a smile.   
She smiled back, resting her hands on the board for balance.   
Bee kept himself afloat around her board, his tail moving below and almost brushing against her leg. 

They both smiled at one another, seeing as their experience was one of delight. 

Charlie would then spot another wave, smirking.   
“Ready to go again, Bee”?

The two raced off to the next incoming wave. And they spent their day together, surfing and swimming in the ocean tunnels. 

The sun was now setting below, just coming down and sinking through the mountains behind the city of Monterey Bay.   
Charlie was still out at sea with Bumblebee, resting her back on her board as Bee was trying to float on his, which wasn’t easy with his dorsal fin keeping him unbalanced. 

“Nothing really beats going through those tunnels..”, she says.   
Bee glanced over to Charlie, seeing her eyes locked onto the ocean from afar. Her hair was drifting along the ripples around them while the sunlight reflected in her eyes. 

“I can still remember my first”, she smiles. “It wasn’t easy, and I kept falling off my board. But.. I had the best teacher” 

She looked at her hand, seeing the black metal band that was around her finger. Though she was smiling, her eyes filled with sadness. Looking at the ring was always a reminder of her dad. All the times they shared together to the last moment she had with him. 

Bumblebee noticed her trance in looking at the round metal that was around her pointer finger, in which he moved his hand to it, touching the dark metal along with her fingers. She could tell he was curious. 

She sat up on her board.   
“Have you.. ever lost someone close to you, Bee”?

Bumblebee gave a short nod. If he could, he’d tell Charlie what it’s like to watch his friends be killed in battle. How he wished he could have done more if he was strong enough. 

“..”, she looked back at her hand. “I never would have been in love with the sea if it wasn’t for my dad. He’s the reason I learned how to swim.. he even pushed me to join a diving team in high school”. 

Her fingers traced over the ring. 

“.. I didn’t know our time together would be so short”. 

At that moment, she forgot where she was. The water wasn’t so cold.  
She felt the world falling slow, letting her mind swap with the trauma she will forever endure. 

She could only remember up to the flashing of lights and then-

Bumblebee had snapped her out of the horrible trance she put herself in. Feeling her skin jump and gasping, she looked down at Bee, finding his hand resting on her cheek. Even if his fingertips were sharp looking, his touch felt gentle. 

She didn’t realize it, but he did this because she had tears falling down her cheek. 

Seeing Charlie in that state, his scar didn’t feel so painful now. 

“Bumblebee..”. 

He gave a mellow thrill, as if asking ‘Are you okay?’  
She felt no emotion at the moment, but her hand lifted up, placing it atop his.   
“Sorry, I..”.   
She didn’t know how to explain it. But, talking about her dad’s death was too painful.   
Eyes locked onto one another, she moved her hand of his and gave his dome a gentle petting. 

“Thank you for today, Bee..”.   
She smiled. 

But through that smile, he could see a broken heart. One he wanted to mend together, picking up it’s pieces till it’s whole again. 

“She looked off into the distance, seeing the sun almost fall down over the hills.  
“It’s getting dark. You need to get back to your pod, huh”?

He gave a soft “Brrr”, slowly pushing himself away from the board. Wishing evil didn’t roam the sea’s at dark, he wanted to stay with her. 

So many unknown feelings racing in his chest, he couldn’t answer the many questions on why he wanted to be closer. 

She’s human.. And yet. 

“Tomorrow “, she says before turning her board around and starting to head back to shore. 

Bee watched her go, feeling his heart ache as she was getting farther and farther away.   
He didn't like seeing her crying. He wished he could do something. 

And then, an idea arose. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“.. Are you sure of this”?

Arcee nodded.   
“I felt it was necessary to come to you on this first. If you’d like, i can keep investigating-“.

Optimus held his hand up, stopping her from speaking any further.   
“.. I know Yellowfin. He wouldn’t betray his comrades. But, he does hold a history of sneaking off from time to time. Full of curiosity, but never too much..”. 

“I understand, Optimus. But this has been more often than other times. I’ve also seen him collect things I haven’t seen before.. rather, odd looking artifacts. Maybe even human ones”.

Optimus furrowed his brows a bit. 

“Keep an eye on him. Do not interact unless he finds himself in danger”. 

“Am I doing this alone”?

“For now.. Has he interacted with anyone else here”?

“I believe he visits Ratchet”. 

“Send him over, if you could”. 

Arcee nods, swimming off. 

Optimus swims around the temple he was in, lost in deep thought. 

‘What source of trouble are you getting in, Yellowfin?’


	6. “Jealousy of a Bumblebee”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So sorry for the late update. There’s been a LOT going on in my personal life. And I was helping friends pack their things to keep at my house due to wild fires in their area. 
> 
> I promise, this book isn’t over! Not till “The End” is printed! 
> 
> Enjoy!

‘I know a place where the world is still,

where time and space have no hold.

I know a place where my heart and soul are one

and there are stories left untold’.

  
  
  


Bumblebee lived in a cavern like home, one covered in both ocean plant life and things he’s found while exploring the reef. Some would be considered as ‘trash’, but you know the saying, “One sea ceature’s trash is just a treasure to Bumblebee”. 

Maybe that was just Bee’s saying.. 

He slept in what looked to be a rather large rock bedding covered in seafoam, sea moss, and other plant life. If you lived in the sea, what he had considered as a bed would be the equal amount of a soft mattress on solid rock. 

  
  


Bumblebee slept after his shift on night watch, which was usually around 1 in the morning in our time frame. But, Auto-fins don’t have technology of telling time and they just change shifts at Dusk or Dawn. 

But, Bumblebee tried to get as much sleep in as he could. Today, he had plans. 

Which was a first. 

Bumblebee was more of the “Never listens and just does whatever”. Something Optimus had been used to dealing with, even when Bee was in his younger times. 

Speaking of, Bee was finding it rather annoying that he was still being called Yellowfin. Now that Charlie gave him a new name’ it gave him a new awakening to himself. But, he couldn’t mention it to anyone. They’d find out. 

In the new terms of his interactions with Charlie, growing closer to her, he started developing the first stages of seeking her to be his mate. The longing for her presence, the needing for her touch. 

In his time, he had already reached the age when one starts to feel like this. But, no one in his home world can feel the things he felt towards Charlie. 

He never questioned it or had any thought of it. He just assumed it would come naturally. 

And it did. 

When she held her hands out to him in their first interaction, showing him that she wouldn’t pursue anything till he trusted her. 

He was scared of humans. It’s true, Charlie was the first human he ever interacted with. But it didn’t stop him from hearing the stories of the old Auto-fins who had their interactions with them. 

But, she was different. 

Even after she was taken out by the unexpected wave that hit them, he didn’t hesitate to dive down and save her. He didn’t think about how the netting that was still tangled on his tail fins were tightening against his skin, almost cutting it like a hot knife. 

He didn’t think it was possible to show affection towards a human. Even consider the thoughts of Spark-Bonding with her. 

Was that even possible? 

Even if it was, Bee would be risking so much for her. 

Spark-Bonding is a one time mating ritual. It’s the same as an animal imprinting on another, wanting to be closer to them, wanting.. to love them. 

  
  


‘Am I in love with her?’, he thinks to himself. ‘Primus, if I am then..”. 

Oh, poor poor Bumblebee. Even thinking to himself, he can’t deny what he feels. He was definitely falling for a human. 

  
  


He looked up from his nest, seeing all his collectibles. 

Some things he found that would remind him of Charlie.. That’s when he got an idea.

He grabbed his empty kept pouch, slinging it over his shoulder. 

He wanted to show more affection towards Charlie. 

And what better way than bringing her gifts?

It’s what his kind does to show their affections and persistence towards another, when seeking them to be their mate. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Swimming out his home, he started heading towards one of the entrances of the territory. But, it looked like someone had other plans for Bee.

  
  


“Yellowfin”!

He stopped in his tracks, looking towards the sound of his old name. 

Arcee swam over, carrying some equipment from the training grounds. 

“Are you heading out”?

He nods at her, pointing at his pouch. 

“Another scavenging? You’re an odd one, Yellowfin.. However, I need you to come with me”.

Bee tilted his head at her. Arcee had never asked him for assistance before, let alone the need for him to follow her. 

Then again, Arcee was always on the training grounds or with Optimus. Maybe he sent her to find Bee for a discussion?

“Our guards last night said there was some Disepti-claw sighting near the northern entrance. Since your patrol is coming up, Optimus asked me to do some training with you to up your strength..”.

  
  


This information given didn’t sound right. But, if it came between his patrol and Decepti-claws, Bee followed in line. Yet, the idea peeked him in worry. He usually;y comes from the north, as it’s close to where Charlie meets with him..

If an enemy is being sighted near the area of the sea, it could mean something bad for Charlie. 

“I’m sorry this takes you away from one of your daily interests, Yellowfin. But, you understand why”.

He nodded, proceeding to follow Arcee. 

  
  


His mind still stayed on Charlie, and he needed to make this training go by quickly so he may warn her. But, if he’s training with Arcee… Oh boy. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  
  
  


Charlie stared down at her dad’s old watch, checking the clock for the 5th time now.

This wasn’t something she had planned, but.. Oh well. 

Bumblebee was never usually late in their meetings, making this a first. At this rate, the excuse for it could be anything from what he tried to inform her. 

Bee still never spoke words, but man does he do an impressive (and slightly aggressive) game of charades. Either that or it was just really messy sign language, she couldn’t tell. 

  
  


She let out another sigh, feeling upset and very bored. 

  
  
  


“Well then, I guess I’ll be surfing on my own”. 

As she was about to plunge into the water, she heard a calling behind her. 

“Hey”!

Turning around, she would see the same guy from the day before. Dressed in a full body suit and a headband around his rather curly dome hair. 

He was jogging towards her, holding a surfboard as well. 

“Are you going surfing”?

She looked at this guy, then to her board, then back at him. “No, I’m doing the Irish jig..”.

Even with the sarcasm in her voice, he still gave what was an awkward chuckle. A tint of blush was on his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Ha ha, that’s funny”, he says, remaining in an awkward tone. “I-I’m Memo”.

“Charlie”, she replied. “So, you surf”?

“Sort of. I’m trying to get better at it. Ya know, if you’re not busy at the moment we can go to the beach and catch some waves”. 

The way Memo said that was like a shy boy in junior high who’s still going through puberty, trying to ask out the cute not so popular girl he stares at in science class to a school dance. 

Charlie was struggling to get words out her mouth. To be honest, she barely knew this guy. He was all twitch-ish and had a quirky sense, so why couldn’t she find the right words to tell him that she didn’t like the beach?

“Well, there’s waves here”, she pointed to the ocean behind her.

_ That wasn’t a rejection, Charlie.. _

“Uh..”, he looked to the direction she pointed her thumb towards. “It’s not really safe to swim out from here. The dock here is used mainly for boats to head out into that part of the ocean, as I go there with my dad”.

“Your dad a local fisherman”?

“Sorta. He likes to find uh, “activities” that are more for a “Father/Son” kind of bond”.

“Father-Son”, she asked, tilting her head a bit with a raised eyebrow. Memo gave another awkward chuckle. 

“W-well, when ya live in a house full of sisters and no brothers..”. 

“I have a brother and I do things that are Tom-boy like”.

Memo started to scramble at his words and panic, thinking he made the conversation more unwanting. “”I-I don’t mean it like-“. 

Charlie couldn’t help herself but laughed a bit. Oh, was this guy really trying.. 

“You’re good, Memo. But, uh, I’m not a fan of the beach.. with all those people and.. young party type of people”. 

He seemed to understand, but the guy was sparked with an idea. 

“Well, we can take my dad’s boat! Drive it out to a spot so we can swim towards those big waves”.

“.. Is that a good idea? You said you weren’t all that great at surfing. You can get hurt if you don’t know what you're facing out there”.

“I only said I wasn’t “The Best” kind of surfer, like you are”!

Charlie didn’t blush, but her eyes lit up a bit to those words. She was never admired for her skills in surfing, making this a first for her. 

Memo on the other hand smiled, the redness on his cheeks getting more red than before. 

“I-I didn’t mean to sound like I’ve been watching you a lot. It’s just a few glances I do when I see you out there. Honestly, you ride those waves like you’ve tamed them! It’s very impressive”.

“Heh’, she smiled. “Thank you Memo..”. 

At this time, she came to her senses. Taking a deep breath she looked back up at Memo. “Alright, you’ve twisted my arm. Maybe I can give you some pointers if ya want”. 

Memo felt like a happy little girl inside, blessed with gratefulness that the cute surfer girl was gonna go swim with him. 

“But, you may wanna rethink your choice of swimwear..”.

“Huh? Why”?

“Well, you’re wearing a diver suit.. not a surfers suit”, she said in a laugh. 

And that grateful feeling was not gone…

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he laughs it off and runs back to his house shouting “Give me 10 minutes”!

  
  
  


Watching the guy run off and up the wooden steps of the dock to the houses on the hill, she looked back to the ocean, out to the distance where the water was calmer than the waves. 

  
  


‘

_ Seriously, Bee.. What are you doing..? _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  
  


No one was around when Bumblebee and Arcee were clashing in training. 

No one could see him panting like hell when he tried dodging an attack on Arcee. 

  
  


She really was going all out to make him stay in their cove. 

“Starting to give up yet”?

She twirled a coral staff around that she used for their training. 

Normally in a fight, they all use their claws and fangs, or slammed into one another with their tails. Even knocking heads. 

Bumblebee knew how Arcee was in training, but this time it felt like it was more aggressive. She was never like this. Not unless she knew something..

But what? Did she figure it out? Had she seen him with Charlie? Or was this really about their enemy?

“Come now, Yellowfin! It doesn’t look like you’re trying hard enough”!

His tail started to pick up its speed. It was killing him more and more when others called him that name. 

Arcee took notice of his sudden mood change. She thought the taunts were getting to him. 

“Come on now. Are you really giving up now, Yello-“.

The sudden impact of his shoulder ramming into her almost knocked the air out her lungs. Gasping, bubbles floating from her lips and gill slits. The current carried her body, hurtling towards a pillar and getting struck by it. Her grip on the training staff was released as she gripped her shoulder. It wasn’t broken or in that much pain, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. 

She inhales, groaning in pain. 

“How unexpected of you..”. 

But as she looked up to her surprise, Bumblebee had swam off. Arcee felt panicked, knowing. she couldn’t lose sight of him. 

“Scraps..”.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Leaving the entrance of his home, he looked up to the surface of the ocean to see the dim of the sun. 

He wondered if Charlie had been waiting for him this whole time, causing this gut pain of guilt in his chest. 

Which is why he sharted searching for treasures as he swam towards their spot. 

Something for her. 

  
  


_ A treasure for his treasure. _

  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  


The sun was almost at its end in the day, and Charlie had watched Memo for the 6th time to fall off his board. Twice not even being along the wave. 

“I see why he said he wasn’t all that great at this..”, she huffed. Smiling as she watched the poor guy swim towards her, some seaweed caught in his dome hair. 

  
  


“You having fun out there”?

Memo gave a sarcastic laugh, floating his board next to hers. 

“You make it look so easy..”.

“I have been surfing since I was 15”. Charlie took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet ocean air. 

The cold water was rippling on her legs as she sat there on her board, feeling the warm breeze turn her skin cold and sent chills down her back. But the good kind of chills. 

“From what I keep observing, you’re trying to focus more on your balance on the board than on the wave. That’s why you keep flying off or getting hit by the wave before you get into the tunnel”. She placed her palms on top of her board, lifting herself up and getting her feet up on the surface of it. 

“When you get to this position on the wave”, she says as she stands up, keeping her arms out to balance herself in the ocean current. 

“You can’t always rely on your arms to keep yourself steady. Lean back a bit, and”, she moves her arms in a certain position, “try holding this position. You’ll ride the wave longer, and eventually get yourself through the tunnel”. 

  
  


Memo looked to be paying attention, not saying he wasn’t watching. 

“You really know your stuff”, he says. 

She plotted herself back down on the board. “I’m not a professional. I’m just good by years of experience and luck”, she smiled. 

“Sounds like a professional to me”, he laughs. “Who taught you this stuff”?

  
  


She looked off into the distance, watching the waves. “My dad taught me..”.

“Really? He doesn’t look like the surfing type”. 

“Oh, no. That’s just Ron.. my step-father. My dad before he came along was the one to teach me. It’s because of him I devote my life to the sea”, she smiles. “Not one for fishing or going out on a boat, but I love riding the waves or going scuba diving.. Before I was more into surfing I used to do Diving in high school. But, I stopped for a while..”.

“How come”?

She doesn’t blame anyone who asks that question.

“Uhh.. some stuff happened. I-I rather not talk about it”. 

Charlie distracted them by pointing at some incoming waves. “There”! 

Memo looked, but felt his chest tighten. “T-that’s a big wave..”. 

“Mhm. Which means big tunnels”!

Memo looked to see stars shining in Charlie’s eyes. Yep, definitely stars..

“I-I’m not so sure about this one Charlie”. 

“Can’t hold back now Memo! If you never try, you’ll never learn”! 

She was already on her stomach, paddling her arms towards the wave. Not giving Memo a chance to argue about being nervous, even after the many failed attempts.

  
  


He followed behind her. 

  
  
  
  
  


It was probably after the second wave that Memo managed to get himself in balance with his board and the tide. Granted he was swaying here and there, smirking to himself. But Charlie on the other hand, kept his spirits up and cheered him on. At the same time, screaming tips on what to do and prevent him from falling off or getting wiped out. 

She smiles as he takes the lead, his voice roaring as he starts to feel the same feelings as her. The exciting rush a surfer gets when they tame their first wave. 

Her hand touched the wall as it always has for years. She looked at her reflection in the water. It wasn’t very visual as one would see in still water, but she could see her eyes in the reflection. For a moment, they looked to change. 

A strange feeling rushed through her heart as they changed. 

They weren’t her eyes anymore.. 

  
  


“Dad..”. 

  
  


It wasn’t long till she saw her own. Her fingertips were pushed more into the water as she kept her direction in the tunnel. They were almost numb from the temperature of the ocean water. 

She looked forward once more, seeing the tunnel come to an end, drifting out and guiding her board towards Memo who finished before her. 

She smiled, seeing his expression was in glee. 

“That was amazing! I didn’t think I could do something like that when surfing. I’ve always been afraid to try and-“, he looked to her. “I have you to thank! Thank you, Charlie”!

She smiled brightly at him. “You’re welcome, Memo”. 

She was soon taken by surprise when she felt a hand touch her own, seeing it take a grip into his. Their arms, positioned in the form of what looks like arm wrestling, but means something between two beings. 

He grinned at her. “Let’s do this again! Let’s ride the waves till we can’t stand”!

  
  
  


Those words took her by surprise. No one had ever said words like that to her. Not since,..

_ Wait.. _

That smile. That shine in his eye. 

The same Bumblebee had when they connected. And Yet, her heart wasn’t..

“AAAGGHH”!! 

Both of them let out surprised yelps when a large wave slammed into them. Letting her hand go, Memo lost his balance and slipped off the board. Charlie lost balance as well, but kept herself steady on the board. 

She looked quickly around them, trying to wonder where that unexpected tide came from. They weren’t near any rocks, nor did anyone on a machine come crashing by to disturb them. 

So, what was it?..

“Memo”! She looked back at him, watching him climb up on his board, coughing up some salt water. 

“Man, what was that”? He sat up, looking around. His hair was now all flattened, like a deflated ball. “Are you okay, Charlie”?

“I should be asking you that, you fell off”!

“Heh, I’m fine”. He gave a reassuring smile to her. 

“I think we just lost track of our surroundings for a second”. He looked out to the ocean. “C’mon, it’s almost sundown! Let me get some more waves in. On my own”! 

He didn’t give her a chance to respond and was already swimming towards some upcoming waves. 

She gave a huff, smiling a bit. This boy..

But, she couldn’t keep her eye on him. 

Suddenly, her board made some movement. It caught her attention, having her grip on it’s sides with her hands. 

“H-huh”?

She looked around, but felt herself go stiff when she felt something rub against her leg. It was cold and smooth, with some rough spots. 

  
  


_ Don’t be a shark, don’t be a shark.. _

She wasn’t experienced in these situations, but had to move slow. 

Which was hard because the water burst next to her, causing a fright and her falling back. 

Going down into the water, her breath was cut off as she was below the water. Eyes opening wide, she swam to position herself and swim up to her board. Bursting through the surface, she gasped for air. 

She reached over, pulling herself up on her board. When she looked up, she saw you know who, staring at her face to face.

“Bumblebee”!?

“Brr”!

“Bee was that you? You scared the crap out of me”!! She smacked her hand on the water surface, splashing at him. 

“Seriously, I thought a shark was under my b-“, she finally had everything processed. She made a quick glance to Memo, seeing how far he was from her. It was a good distance away, but he was in the tunnel. 

  
  


Bee noticed she was looking elsewhere, following her gaze. 

And then he felt it again… 

  
  
  
  


**Earlier:**

_ Now satisfied with his findings to give to Charlie, Bumblebee swam up to their spot. He could feel his heart racing by the second, full of excitement to see her again.  _

_ Bumblebee loved this feeling. That she was the one being among land who he wanted to be around most. Her kind and gentle heart was more than enough to make him hope he could speak to her. Wait, could he? Would he understand her? _

  
  


_ It was a thought, indeed. But, poking his head out he was chirping happily. But to his disappointment, she wasn’t there. His antenna looking ears dropped a bit.  _

_ But, he heard an all to familiar sound in the distance.  _

_ Laughter. _

_ Her laughter.  _

  
  


_ Was she out swimming without him? _

  
  


_ He dives down below the water, keeping in mind that Charlie told him NOT to be above the ocean water when she wasn’t around. He always remembered that.  _

_ Making his way around the cove of their spot, he spotted the all familiar surfboard. But, there was another one next to hers.  _

_ Another human?  _

_ He came above to the surface, but not poking through. But he could see clearly, and what he saw changed his entire mood completely.  _

_ A male human, gripping their hand on Charlie’s, and staring into each other’s eyes.  _

_ He felt anger rise in his chest, bubbles huffing out his snout. That was his Charlie. His treasure. Who the hell does this human male think he is, touching his potential mate!?  _

_ He swam back down a bit, before summersalting forward, creating a current till he stretched his tail out and letting it break the surface and create a giant splash towards them.  _

_ The delight he got when their hands were ripped apart from each other, along with the human male falling into the water. _

_ Bee laughed to himself, claiming the victory. And he would have done more, but it looked like the human male started to drift from Charlie and head towards another direction. Now was his chance to get her attention back, and save her from this hormone raging human male who dared to try and take her away.  _

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Present time:**

The anger started to come back, causing Bee to make an angry chirp. As Charlie looked down at him, surprised by his chirps, Bumblebee pushed himself towards her, rubbing himself on her leg. 

“Wha-Bee! What are you- Hey!”, she cried out. Her cheeks were starting to turn red as his face kept nuzzling her thigh. Even pressed his lips to her thigh, trying to mark her skin with his scent. 

Her hands pushed on his head, trying to make him stop. What on earth was going on with him?

“Bumblebee, what are you doing”!? She felt her cheeks heat up more when he took his hands and held her leg close. One supporting her foot as the other started to rub her lower thigh. 

“Bumblebee”! 

“Charlie”?!

  
  


She felt her heart drop, hearing Memo in the distance. She turned her head, seeing him from afar and his hands cupped around his mouth. 

“Did you see that?! I was doing my best”!

Using her leg, she pulled it from Bee’s hold and pushed him below the water. 

“Y-yeah! You were awesome! Great job MemoOOohhHH”!~

Okay, now she was red in the face. 

Did.. did Bumblebee just lick her leg?

  
  


She tried calming herself, but it was hard when a sea creature was planting what felt like small nibbles and licks to your leg and foot. And seeing Memo coming towards her, she pulled her leg again from Bee, reaching down and grabbed him by his chin. He poked his head out, both of them now staring into each other’s eyes. 

“Bumblebee, Stop”, she said in a harsh tone. “Go to our spot and stay there. I will see you after”!

She then proceeded to push him back in the water, and swim towards Memo. 

  
  


That feeling Bee had? It was gone.. And now, he was feeling guilty..

Had this human male already won her affections? Was he too late?.. 

He didn’t stay to find out. He did as he was instructed, swimming to their spot. 

  
  
  
  
  


Charlie caught up to Memo, her cheeks still a bit red. 

“Wanna call it a day, Charlie”?

“Yeah, it’s already sunset”.

“Yeah, and I’m kinda hungry..”.

She chuckled a bit, “Let’s head in then”.

  
  
  
  


“Hey, why are your cheeks red”?

U-Uh.. Sucker fish were attacking my feet while you were surfing”.

  
  


**_Smooth, Charlie… smooth._ **

  
  



	7. Update!

Heyo! 

I’m writing this to let you all know why the updates to this book are gonna be a while, and I wanna apologize for the long wait. 

So, there are some unfortunate circumstances happening rn in California with the fires and all, and I happened to have been living in one of the areas that was close to the Glass Fire. It was a lot to handle with the stress I’ve been dealing with at home, but I needed to take this time and focus on packing and alerting others who lived close by. 

But it looks like things have calmed down in my neighborhood and things look to be under control (for now) so I’ll be seeing you guys soon! 

Thank you for enjoying this little series and thank you Youkaiyume for creating this amazing AU of Charlie and Bumblebee!! :) 

See you soon! ^_−☆


	8. Gifts and Affection

Guess who’s back!! 

Sorry the wait was so long, there was A LOT happening in life. But now I’m back, determined to finish this story!!

***WARNING***

**This chapter contains depictions of trauma/ptsd, anxiety/panic attacks**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Memo helped Charlie up on the dock as they came in. She had already concocted a plan on getting Memo home before sneaking back out to meet up with Bumblebee, she just had to play the cards right. 

“Think I can catch my own waves now? Tame my own tunnels”?

“With enough practice, sure. Just, don’t go off on your own yet”.

Memo had a smirk as he glanced at Charlie, “so we’ll be going out again then”?

She just gave a friendly chuckle, nudging his arm. “Only when you can spare the time. Don’t you have a job or something”?

“Sure do. You’re looking at the soon-to-be supervisor of Cinnabon”! He puffed his chest up a bit, like a bird trying to attract the female species. 

“What ‘bout you, Charles”?

“I don’t have a job.. And don’t call me that”.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry”!

She laughed again, “That’s just a weird nickname to give me. Everyone called me that back in grade school”. 

Memo gave an awkward laugh, feeling embarrassed. 

“So, no work”?

“Nope. I mean, I used to work at a hotdog stand at the Aquarium. But, I quit when I realized I love going out at sea rather than being cooped up in a building smelling like sweaty meat”.

“Understandable”, he says, “You know, with your love for the ocean you almost sound like a pirate. Or even a mermaid”. 

“Oh yeah”? She propped her arm on her hip, gripping her board with the other. 

The two of them made their way up the steps of the dock, heading towards Memo’s place. 

“To be honest, that’s more like a compliment. When I was little, my dad always told stories about mermaids and sea creatures. He made them sound like he was one of them, but I think it was just to put pictures in my head”, she chuckled a bit.

“Who knows”, Memo says trying to play around with the information. “I mean, from what I hear from other fishermen this cove around here used to be a popular spot to see mermaids. Or.. some kind of sea creature. But, they’re just in that prime of their lives where they start thinking crazy things”.

“H-heh, yeah. Crazy.. like, sea creatures? You sure it wasn’t a dolphin”?

Yeah Charlie, you totally didn’t sound awkward there. It’s not like you saw one- Oh wait. 

“Who knows. I just hope I don’t lose my marbles when I’m 70”. 

As they got to Memo’s porch, he looked back at Charlie. “Hey, if.. you know, you're not busy this weekend maybe we can go surfing again”?

She smiled at him, her fingers tapping the board. “Sure, Memo. Come over to my place when you wanna go out there again”. 

“C-cool! So it's a date. I-I don’t mean a real date! Y-you know, just the expression- Not unless you-“.

Charlie just rolled her eyes, waving him ‘Goodnight’. “Losing your marbles already”?

“H-heh, guess so”, he chuckled, waving her ‘goodnight’ as he walked into his house, setting his board against his porch rail.

  
  


Looking at the sky, the sun already setting at the peak of the ocean, Charlie made a quick head back down to the dock. A tinge of guilt for keeping Bumblebee waiting this long, but she can’t forget what he did while she was out with Memo. He licked her! She can still see little red spots on her foot and calf, too big for a sucker fish to have done. 

Why did he even do something like this in the first place? Was it territorial instincts?

  
  


Hoping on her board and swimming out, she headed towards their rock. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Bee was just below the water, finding a spot patched with sea sponge and seaweed to bed as he waited for Charlie. He didn’t like that she was upset towards him, and he knew he would have to apologize. 

His spark is really getting to his head. And for a human? One thing like that would cause chaos if his pod found out.. 

Bee hadn’t realized though that this was more than a courtship. In his species age, he’s around that time where he would be seeking out a mate. 

Normally for dolphins, they use displays of affection and attraction to court the female. But it’s a bit different with Bumblebee. 

If he was to spark-bound with her, it’s forever. 

Spark-bonding is a one time thing. Choosing a mate means an eternity with them. But, how long would that be with her he wondered. Charlie was human.. Humans don’t live as long as their species. 

It wouldn’t be eternity then.. Her life is but an hourglass, falling slow till the last grain of sand hits the bottom, ending her time on earth and her last breath.

  
  


He didn’t like these thoughts of losing her. He curled up even more into the plants he bedded in. 

  
  


He didn’t even notice above that Charlie had arrived at the rock, stepping on the ones below to push herself up and pulling her board. She placed the board in the center, looking around the edge to see where Bee was hiding. She didn’t see him, but she knew where he was. It was easy to tell with the form of bubbles coming up. 

Diving into the ocean water after taking a deep breath, she kicked her feet and swam down. 

Spotting the dolphin creature, her heart ‘thumped’ in her chest. How he was positioned, curled up and eyes closed, how could she not find it so adoring?

She swam towards him, getting herself lower to him as she reached her hand out. Carefully as to not alert him, her fingertips touched his dome. Her touch was gentle, soothing to his comfort. Bumblebee was affectioned to her touch. 

His head moved, pushing his head more into her hand as her fingers trailed down, her palm cupping his jawline. 

Her other hand was holding onto a rock to keep herself from floating off.

  
  


His eyes opened up, those beautiful blue orbs glowing as she stared into them. 

Charlie never saw that glow before. Maybe it was because they were underwater?

Either way, she smiled at him. Forgetting the events that happened earlier, she moved closer, her hand moving from his chin to around his neck. 

Bumblebee didn’t seem to notice how long she was under, but lifted himself up as Charlie proceeded to wrap her other arm around his neck. 

Hugging him so, Bee gave a gentle “Brrr” as he relaxed into her touch. 

Not thinking as his arms moved on their own, wrapping one around her waistline and the other going to her upper back, his hand upon the back of her head. 

Because of her, Bumblebee learned how humans showed their affections to one another. Now, he could show his affection to Charlie. But, he had much to learn from human affections. 

She pulled back a bit, looking at him with a smile. Bubbles floating from her lip and nostrils, Bumblebee had realized how long they have been below the water. He pushed them up, going to the surface so she could breath. 

  
  


Charlie hadn’t even noticed how long she was under.. as if she didn’t need to alert herself that she was low on oxygen. 

  
  


Emerging from the water, she didn’t gasp for air. She just took a deep breath like it was nothing. 

Bee helped her up on the rock, sitting her down. Once she got herself up, she leaned over the edge of the water, squeezing the water out of her hair. 

  
  


“Brrr”, he gave a gentle thrill as he pushed himself up on the rock, his tail still sitting in the water. Charlie hadn’t even taken notice of the seaweed satchel he had upon his back, as he also forgot it. 

I guess love makes you forget many things. 

  
  
  


“..I didn’t mean to be so harsh on you, Bee”, she said. Pulling her legs up, sitting in a butterfly position, she gazed out at the sea. 

“But, you caught me off guard with what you were doing. I-I don’t know how to understand why you did it- Why did you lick me!? And why my foot”?

She didn’t want to raise her voice at him, seeing that it made him feel sad. His ears were poking down, avoiding eye contact. 

Charlie huffed, her chest heaving out before she leaned back a bit. She looked out to the sky, seeing the sun halfway past the ocean. The sky was starting to turn dark, from pink and orange to blue and indigo. The only constellations that would be seen first were the planets near earth. 

“I don’t mean to yell at you Bee”, she looks at him. “But, if Memo caught a glimpse of you I-I don’t know what would have happened”.

Bee gave a huff, settling himself down. His head rested in his arms near Charlie’s thighs. 

“Bee..”, she placed her hand on his head, giving it some soothing pets. He seemed to like it, leaning his head into her touch. “What’s going on, huh? Did something happen with you”?

He gave a soft ‘Brrr’, no other reaction to answer her. In terms, it meant ‘No’ or ‘Yeah but I don’t want to talk about it’. 

“.. Is it about your home”?

He gave another ‘Brr’. 

“Your pod”?

‘Brr’

“.. I wish I could understand you”. 

Her eyes landed back on the scar on his neck, her fingers inching towards it. “Did your pod do something to that”?

Bee understood that, sitting himself up and shook his head. 

“They didn’t?.. So it was something else”?

He nodded, looking down. 

  
  


“.. Does that mean there’s others like you, but there are bad ones too”?

“Brr”, he nods. 

There really was a bigger world out there in the sea. It wasn’t safe, yet she was envious. She dreamed of being out at sea forever. 

  
  


“.. I wish I was like you Bee”.

  
  
  


Those words just slipped from her. She didn’t really think about it, speaking her mind like an open book. Those words perked up his ears as his head shot towards her, a shocked expression. 

“I know the ocean isn’t safe, with creatures bigger than you maybe. Or ones that try to hurt you.. But the ocean can also be a place of beauty. I wish I had some scuba gear’ then I could go deeper below, see the coral reefs, find treasures”, she smiled. 

“How I wish I could live below the water… I’m drawn to the sea and there’s no going back”.

  
  


Her attention was drawn to a sound, looking to Bumblebee as he took off his pouch he had with him. 

‘Finally’, he thought to himself. The moment he waited for, to give her these treasures. 

“Bee”?

“Brr”! He had a hard time fixing himself on the rock if he had legs then maybe…

He opened the pouch up, pouring out all the findings that were in there. Everything poured out, and his eyes locked onto Charlie, seeing her expression too, lighten up. 

“Bumblebee, you- is this what you’ve been doing all day”?

“Brr”!

She smiles, her hand touching all the items set before her. 

There were items you’d usually find in the ocean, such as shells and pretty looking rocks. And trash, such as a rubber duck, an old message in a bottle, and a can of dog food. Though, her favorite was this toy car of a classic 1964 VW Beetle Bug. It was her favorite car when she saw them drive by. That and the smartest person created a game where if you see these types of cars you get to punch the person sitting next to you. 

She smiled down at the car, setting it down and rolling it back and forth for a bit before looking at the other treasures. Bee liked what she did and decided to play with the car after her. 

There was also a reference necklace from a Leonardo De Caprio movie that looked suspiciously real, but the jewel was obviously made of resin. An old pouch of gold coins, and maybe Charlie would be rich from them if they weren’t the gold tokens you use for arcade games. (Why were they in an old pouch?) 

And then.. How did he find a real coconut?

“Oh wow”. The small items were her favorite. They were sea glass shards. So many colors, smooth like sand below the water. She could make a chandelier out of them with some string and driftwood sticks.

“Bee..”, she looked up at him and smiled. “These are good.. Thank you”. 

  
  
  


_ Primus _ , he thought in his head. 

His spark was getting stronger. How can it not? 

He was lost in her smile, that he dove into the water. 

Charlie looked. Confused, wondering what he was doing. “Bumblebee”?

In her surprise, he waited for her. He reached his hand out, his claw like fingers stretching out to her. She didn’t question it. 

She reached out, her hand slipping in his. Her hand was small in his, but he was gentle. He moved back, pulling her into the water. 

  
  
  


The sun was still seen over the ocean horizon, but the sky was becoming darker. 

Bumblebee was on his back, floating around as Charlie was on top of him, her stomach pressed against his chest along with her hands to hold onto him. Her legs were floating as his tail below swam around. He didn’t take his eyes off her for a second, just floating. 

This human girl had won Bumblebee. And he wanted her. He longed for her.. 

If he could, he’d dive down the waters with her. He would take her to his home. He would show her to his Pod. He knew they would accept her, but.. she was human. 

Humans can’t live in his world, but he pushed for her to live in his. 

  
  
  


Charlie rested her hand on his chest, feeling something warm beneath. Feeling his heart pounding in the tough of his skin. It felt like she could sense his feelings. What was going on in his head. His heart. 

Her cheeks were turning red, and it wasn’t because the ocean water was becoming colder and colder as night began to fall. 

  
  


“.. “ She knew she had to go home. But.. just a bit longer.. Just a little while longer with him, she thought. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  
  
  


She couldn’t take the items home, deciding to get them tomorrow when they meet up. 

It was late, which meant everyone was eating their microwave dinner and watching tv. Charlie entered her garage, closing it after turning the light on. 

She placed her board against a car that had a sheet covering it, walking over to a bucket and filling it with water from the sink. As it filled, she turned the radio. on, letting whatever station play. She wasn’t gonna be in there for long so it didn’t matter what was playing. 

Just as long as it wasn’t some sappy romance song, or anything in “rap”. 

But, it wasn’t either of them. It was something decent and teenage related. 

_ “I don’t wanna be here, take me away”~ _

Shutting the water off, she pulled the half filled bucket out the sink and sat it down on the ground. A hand towel was already clean and put in it, as she unzipped her suit and started pulling it off her body. Whenever this happened, using her surfing swimwear or a diving suit, there were always bits of sand and some sea leaves that got beneath the suit. Like her body was a canvas with ocean printed all over. Course she wore a two piece underneath, looking like a sports bra and high waisted bottoms in the color navy blue. 

She damped the rag in the bucket, washing the sand seaweed off her body. 

Course she could’ve just jumped in the showe as she always does after swimming in the ocean, but her mom didn’t like sand getting in the drains. So they came up with this tactic. 

_ “Just like our first kiss, it was pure bliss” _

_ “I found love in a place I thought was hopeless” _

_ “Now I’m glad I stayed” _

_ “I come back every year but I still say” _

  
  


She damped the towel again, having finished washing her chest and under her breast. Now moving to her stomach. 

Washing her abdomen, she stopped. 

It had been years, but she could still see the faded scar along her abdomen. It wasn’t large, but it was visible. 

She would never forget that night. She would never forget. Looking at it started to make her mind feel dizzy. The heavy weight in her chest started to take over as she tossed the rag in the bucket. Wanting to just go to bed, skipping a shower, he hurried the bucket to the side door by the washing machine. But the process of hurry made the bucket knock into her board, which slid off the car pulling the tarp along with it. 

“Damn it”. Placing the bucket down by the door, she hurried to pick her board up, but froze. The tarp was off the front of the car, showing the car underneath. While it looked in perfect condition, Charlie felt like it was flashing to the time it was in its worse. 

She started seeing the memories of the broken headlight flashing on and off, the paint chipped and scratched with a large dent in the doors. Windows shattered and glass thrown all over. 

Her legs turned to jello as she crashed to the ground, scratching her knees and palms. Her heart rate increased, breathing heavily as the traumatic flashbacks began to make her head throb. Stomach turning, the feeling of nausea rising. She could hear herself panting and her heart racing. Was it gonna burst? 

She pushed herself back, hitting the tool desk behind her, making it rattle. 

  
  


**_“Charlie”!?_ **

Not his voice. Echoing in her ear, faded and loud. 

Sweat started to form on her forehead, her body enduring goosebumps that raided her arms and legs like hives. Her breathing started to rapid, tears burning in her eyes. She gripped her hands tightly to her hair, almost pulling them. Pulling and gripping to hurt. 

  
  
  


She didn’t hear the door open from the house, hearing the shouting from her family. 

  
  


Her eyes were locked on the car as she started to hyperventilate and cry. Her body trembled as her voice was getting louder in breathing and pained cries. 

She felt a tight hold overcome her, being pulled into the arms of her mother. She couldn't hear her voice. 

Charlie forgot this feeling, this pain. 

  
  


Sally and Ron. Helped pick up Charlie and pull her inside. But it didn’t stop her from screaming; she cries out, feeling her chest get tighter as she panicked. 

Sally held her close, soothing her in calm talking and gentle rubs on her back. Otis was looking upset seeing the state of his big sister. 

Ron walked over and closed the garage door, looking to Sally to see if there was anything else they needed to do. Whatever Sally said had him running to their bathroom and Otis going to get a glass of water. 

But till she would eventually find herself, Charlie Watson spent the rest of that night screaming and crying, clutching herself to her mother. The memories still haunt her, even if its been 4 years since,...

  
  
  
  
  
  


**_“I don’t wanna be here. Take me away”~_ **

  
  
  
  



	9. A Blue Moon awakening

**_There's something about_ **

**_how the sea draws me in_ **

**_much like your eyes_ **

**_even though I know I could drown_ **

**_I'm always going to try to swim_ **

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It had been a long time since Charlie endured one of her panic attacks. 

Everyone assumed she got better and learned to live on in life after the trauma, except Sally. Knowing there would be possible relapses, she kept up with medications for Charlie.

Sally didn’t sleep till her daughter was in a better condition. Even if she had work in the early morning, she had her focus more on Charlie than sleep. 

It wasn’t till 3 in the morning that the medication had taken over and she fell asleep. Sally still didn’t leave her side till she was completely knocked out cold in slumber. Rubbing her daughters back till she was ready to let her sleep. 

  
  
  


No mother likes seeing their children in pain. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Charlie awoke no sooner than the sun rising over the mountains. Seagulls were wailing as it was also around the time that fishermen were out and about on their boats as she could hear their bells ringing. 

She rolled over onto her back, staring up at her ceiling as she read the band posters she stuck up there. Most being  The Smiths as they were her favorite. 

She would feel her eyes stinging a bit from her tears of last night, and she would resume crying had the medication she took wasn’t still kicking. 

The light in her room was dim, coming from her windows with the curtains covering them. 

She pushed herself up, feeling the weight of her tangled hair almost force her back down. How it still smelled like salt water, along with her skin feeling a bit dry due to some spots she missed with sand. She was also dressed in one of her oversized shirts with her two-piece still on underneath. 

Which was the worst thing to wake up in, knowing how skin tight it gets. Thankfully she had a bathroom in her room, not having to go down the hall and past everyone’s bedrooms. And Otis was at that age where he’s taking suspiciously long showers…

  
  


Maybe that’s just what she needed, a nice hot rinse. Anything to ease her mind. 

And hopefully avoid Ron and his “Therapy” talks.. 

  
  
  


No, she needed to think of anything else. And there was only one thing on her mind.

  
  
  


_ Bumblebee.. _

  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  
  


The tension was too surreal. 

Bumblebee was called forth by Optimus, but he didn’t want to think that they suspected him of hanging around a human. 

He didn’t like that it was just the two of them, but knowing Optimus it was probably something more of just two comrades having a talk. 

  
  


“Yellowfin”, he said. 

It was still hard to hear his old given name. His bond for Charlie had grown strong this month, it was irritating to hear it instead of ‘Bumblebee’.

He looked towards Optimus, who was swimming towards him at the entrance of the temple. His expression was always the same, stoic. 

“Let’s take a swim”.

He motioned himself forward, his fins moving with the current of the water as not to go too fast for Bee, since he was of whale species as Bee was dolphin. 

Without his acknowledgement, Bumblebee didn’t see that Arcee was watching the two of them leave. But, she wasn’t going to spy on them. She held the feeling that they were going to discuss Bee’s behavior and absence that have been going on these past weeks, almost into a month. 

“Arcee, let’s go”! 

She turned her attention towards Ironhide and Bulkhead, who awaited her as they were heading off for training. Shaking the thought out of her head, she swam off with the others. 

Now wasn’t the time to focus on Yellowfin. It was about getting everyone ready for anything their enemy of the sea would throw at them. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Yellowfin”, he starts, “Ratchet has said you are still refusing to attempt at your speech recovery.. Are you having trouble with trying to speak”?

Bee shook his head, trying to keep up with Optimus as they swam around their territory. 

“You must not feel ready then to try.. I understand”. He stops, looking out at their oceanic world they have created. Bee stopped as well, seeing what he was looking towards. 

“We all have come very far to make this place a home for all life in these waters. And I make sure we are all safe from Megatron and his armies of Decepi-claws..”, he looks at Bumblebee. 

“That is my part in this world, to keep you and the pod safe. Especially from humans..”.

  
  


He never shared this with others, but there was a time in Optimus’s younger days of the ocean where he watched his kind perish from human beings. How many were struck to death from heavy metal hooks, poisoned by oil porridge into the sea in old territories, and much more. 

The worst he had to witness was human destruction of an oil plantation, in which fire lit above the water, how many humans perished in the destruction and many more Auto-fin’s were killed trying to save others. Even humans..

He had witnessed many heartbreaking things, even lost those he was rather close to. 

“..”, Bumblebee looked at Optimus, seeing the sadness in his eyes. 

“I’ve seen the items you bring in Bumblebee. I know humans lose many items into the sea that you come across. But I also notice you’ve been coming and going more often than you’ve usually done. Have you come across something”?

How could Bee lie? 

_ ‘Yes. A human girl. One I wish to call my mate. But she can’t breathe below the water.. I want her to be with me’.  _

Optimus could see the guilt in his eyes. 

“Yellowfin, I can see the trouble in your eyes.. Have you come across another like you”?

Bee had to be honest. He knows that. His throat started to feel like it was swelling up.. 

“.. You’ve come across someone. But, they’re not of our kind..”.

As if Optimus could read him. 

“.. Could it be that they come from Atlantis”?

_ Atlantis?  _

Bee looked at him confused. 

“We’re not the only creatures of the sea, Yellowfin..”, he swam forth. 

**_“For we are never to find a connection with humans. Our sparks can never intertwine.. Whoever you are meeting with isn’t human entirely”_ **

  
  


What..?

  
  


Bumblebee watched Optimus swim off back to the temple, still trying to process what was heard. 

How did he know this? Was it true? 

If it is, then.. 

  
  
  


**_Are you human, Charlie?_ **

  
  


**______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ **

  
  
  


She sat by her window, wearing an old black long sleeve sweater that belonged to her dad. 

Watching the waves and the boats going in and out the port, playing with the wedding band she kept on her thumb, as it was the last thing he had given her. 

  
  


She didn’t know if she wanted to go outside. 

The sky was grey, clouds coming in. 

Rain was going to come soon. 

  
  


Her head turned towards her bedroom door as it opened, revealing Ron who was dressed in his usual attire, but with his flannel shirt unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up. 

“Hey Charles”, he said. 

For once, she didn’t cringe as much to him calling her by that nickname. 

“You, uh, got a minute to spare”?

“What is it”?

“Your mom called in. Radio says it’s gonna be a storm tonight, so we gotta get everything set up. Though, I can’t do it all by myself”. 

A gentle sigh, she pushed herself up from her spot, stretching her legs a bit. 

“Yeah, I’ll come help”. 

  
  


Ron smiled. This would be some time to bond with Charlie, but he didn’t think it was best since her panic attack. He’d have to ease himself into a conversation with her nice and slow-like. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Otis was inside, looking over the food count in their fridge, along with their rations of canned food, and checking their supply on lights, candles, and back up batteries for anything that required their usage. 

Whereas Charlie helped Ron put up another board to a window of the house, holding it as he sealed it in its place with a power drill. 

“Just a few more windows then we bring in everything from the porch into the garage”. 

“I think I know the drill, Ron”, she says. “How are we on the screws”?

“Last I counted, it’s enough for the remaining boards. There are 6”. 

Charlie thought to herself, 

_ “Alright, that covers two at the deck. The large board for the doors. One at Otis’s window and the last two at the master bedroom”. _

Charlie’s room was towards the ocean, but she had window shutters and locks to keep them shut should the possibility of her window open and gusts of wind and rain come through. 

She walked along the porch deck, setting the borders up on her own as Ron went to Otis’s window. 

She couldn’t help but think about what tonight could look like. Storms in this area weren’t always a bad thing, comparing it to a hurricane. But, when you live by the ocean, you still prepare yourselves. Before she was trusted to be the “Adult” of the house and watch over her little brother, her mom would stay home with her kids. 

Now at these times, Sally was stuck at the hospital looking after patients and helping prep for power outages and all that. Nurses were always working harder, which Charlie thought was unfair that they didn’t get the same payment as doctors. 

She finished tightening in the last board, checking to see it was secured. 

  
  


“Yo, Charlie”!

Looking over, she saw Memo walking over to her house. 

She placed the drill she had in her hand down, fixing her sweater as/it was starting to slip off one shoulder. She didn’t want him to walk all the way over, so she met Memo at the front of her house. 

“How’s your place holding up”?

“Getting in tact. My dad heard from the news that the winds will most likely become strong tonight. So, I’m heading to the dock to make sure the boat is tied down. You wanna help”?

She still had things to do, however, she really wanted to get her mind off the storm.

“I can spare some time. Plus, it’d be nice to sit by the water before the waves start to grow close to the rocks”.

Memo gave her a smile, leading the way down the docks. 

For the first time that day, Charlie smiled. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  


Sitting by the dock with her shoes off, she closed her eyes. Felt the wind blowing past her, through her hair and played like music to her ears with the sounds of the waves hitting the rocks. 

The last moments of her world before sealing herself in isolation. The smell of the ocean before the storm would fire at the windows. 

If Charlie lived in the city, she’d long for the rain. Just to feel it on her face..

Memo took a seat next to her, crossing his legs instead of letting them hang over the edge. 

“How long till we can go out there again”?

She opened her eyes, looking out to the tides that started to become wild with the winds. “However long the storm is around. And the damages..”, she gave a huff, hating the thought of it. “To ride those waves though.. Through the storm. It’s every surfer's dream..”.

“Well-“, he started, rubbing his neck. “Not ALL surfers”.

Charlie gave a small chuckle, looking at Memo. “You prefer the short mellow waves”?

He gave a shrug, smiling. 

They both sat on the docks for a while in silence, till he spoke up. 

“Are you doing okay, Charlie”?

She looked at him, confused. She wasn’t in an unhappy mood, or made it seem like she was. 

“What”?

“Well, I didn’t want to say it but, it’s not hard to see the dark circles under your eyes. And, you don't talk as much as you usually would.. I just want to know if you’re okay”. 

Could she really lie? No, it wasn’t like her. Not telling the whole truth is more like it. 

“.. It’s not something I really want to talk about, Memo. I know you’re being a good friend and making sure I’m okay, and thank you for that. But, I really don’t want to talk about it”. 

“Okay..”, he nodded, understanding her. “But if you ever do, I’m here”. 

She smiled at him. “Thanks”. 

The winds started to pick up, sending chills down Memo’s back. Not for Charlie though. 

“W-whew! Guess we should head back”. 

“Yeah, it’s drawing closer”. 

Both the young adults got up, Charlie grabbing her shoes instead of putting them on. Highly unlikely she’d get a splinter on the docks. 

As Memo started walking back, Charlie behind him, the wind made another gust towards her ear. 

**_“Charlie..”_ **

Her head spun around, looking back to the ocean. 

She swore she heard her name called in a voice that wasn’t familiar to her. Right..?

No, it must be in her head. She continued to walk on.

**_“Charlie..”_ **

She looked back again at the ocean, hearing the same voice. 

_ “Huh’? _

“Charlie, you coming”?

Memo called out to her when he looked back seeing her still behind. 

“Yeah..”. 

_ That was weird.  _ She thought. 

  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  


The ocean felt colder than it did before.. 

Bumblebee spent the day in his home, curled up in his nest. 

Realization had taken over so quickly for him..

It was more than a mating courtship he had for Charlie. His love towards her was real, and it was killing his spark. 

Bubbles kept floating up from his face as he kept huffing to himself. 

There was never any denial. 

_ Optimus knows.. Wonder who else. Who’s been spying on me? Or does he just think that he knows.. They know I’d never turn my back on them.. I’m not-.. _

He didn’t want to trail his thoughts to something like that. 

How could he? 

He had been with his pod since his awakening into the world. 

  
  


_ Maybe I’m putting myself into something..  _

He gave another huff, curling up more on his nest. 

He longed to see her, but had to hold himself back. He could feel the tides changing their current, which meant she wasn’t going out at sea. 

His eyes shut, letting a moment of rest take over. 

  
  
  


**_At least, for now.._ **

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  


It was already nightfall as the storm picked up. 

The Watson’s had already turned their lights off, switching to battery lamps and flashlights if needed. 

Charlie couldn’t find herself to fall asleep. No music to make her relax, even if it was **The Smiths**. 

It felt like she was having hot flashes then changing to freezing to death. Not in the scenario where you have a blanket on yourself, then you stick your foot out only to fear the bed demons would grab you.. 

  
  


Maybe she needed a drink. 

Forcing herself out of bed, she grabbed her phone and used the flashlight mode to see down the hall of her house. Making her way to the kitchen where she turned a lantern light on, sitting it on the kitchen counter. 

She opened the fridge, seeing the power was still intact, and grabbed a carton of milk. 

Charlie didn't believe in the phrases “A glass of milk to help you doze off to bed”, but she wasn’t feeling in the mood for tap water. That, and she was the kind of person who drank from the carton without a care in the world. 

She looked at the clock on the wall, seeing it at 11:23pm. Even with the storm outside, she predicted her mom not to be home till it was over. 

  
  


The sound of lightning snapping in the sky almost made her jump. What really caught her attention was the back door to their deck. It looked like the board wasn’t secured on tight, causing it to come loose and move against the wind.

“Damn it, Ron.”. She put the milk down on the counter, walking over to the door. Knowing she couldn’t go out there, winds starting to pick up, she wanted to see if it was something to worry about. 

Once she got to the door, she could see clearly into the mid of night. Watching the tides coming in with such power and anger to the shore and the boats. 

“.. Feels like the ocean has become angered”. 

Another wind gust hit the house, the flash of lightning coming closer which pulled the board off its nails. The surprise made Charlie jump, but she felt herself indulged in the bright of the moon's light. The full moon, looking up at it and seeing it take a color of blue.

Charlie never saw such a thing in her life, but staring up at the moon started to make her mind haze. Slipping into a spell, as her once beautiful eyes of dark brown changed to fade blue, just like the moon's light. Her ring flashed the same color, as she inhaled, exhaling a hot breath of air that could be seen. 

  
  


Her hands grasped onto the handles of the doors, opening them. The air was cold like ice, but brought no goosebumps to her skin. She didn’t slip shoes on, her bare feet just simply walking forth. The deck was wet from the rain that carried from the ocean, her hair was being blown in the wind as she continued forth. 

She could hear the thunder roaring, but the song of melody was louder, coming from the far reaches of the ocean. 

Under such a trance as she made her way down, heading to the rocks. Just where the boats come in and leave when going out to sea. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Bumblebee was still in slumber, till he heard the strange melody awake him. 

  
  


His spark ignited, when he heard it again but, it was in a familiar voice. 

  
  
  


**_“Charlie…”._ **

  
  
  
  


_ Two sparks come together, as the moon awakens the sirens who call for their sailors.  _

_ In this case, an auto-fin is called from a human girl who holds the souls or a siren she shares blood with.  _


	10. The song of the Siren’s

_Clouds were parting so beautifully in the sky, the sun risen and shining bright. Sitting on the beach was a young Charlie Watson, about the age of 6. She was building a sandcastle, having used a yellow pale to make the castle structure and a plastic shovel to dig with. She would occasionally give a cheerful laugh as she built another castle, decorating it with shells and pebbles she found in the sand._

_“Charlie”!_

_She would look up and see him,_

_Her dad._

  
  


_He had a big grin upon his face as he was carrying a black pale full of ocean water._

_Charlie smiled, clapping her hands in excitement as he placed the pale down. Earlier, he had dug a moat around her sandcastle, bringing up the plastic bucket down and pouring the ocean water into the sand moat they built together._

_“Woah!”, she cheered in glee._

_He smiled at his daughter, looking proud at her._

_Sally was sitting in a beach chair behind them, smiling at the two with her hand resting upon her stomach. She only hoped Charlie would become a good sibling out of this, or this one was calm and not beach bum crazy like her husband._

_Charlie’s dad pulled her close as they watched the water collide when it met it._

_“Someday, I’ll show you a bigger world out at sea Charlie”._

_“There’s a bigger world”?_

_He gave a chuckle, ruffling her already messy bunch of hair. “Yep”, he said._

_“You may only see what’s above the water, but down below the ocean there is more than water and sand”._

_“Are there sandcastles”?_

_He gave another laugh, “Charlie, there are huge sand castles. And they're full of all kinds of sea life”!_

_Even if she was only a child, he told her of stories of the ocean sea. To her, they sounded like fairy tales. As if he was trying to give her a world of imagination. Maybe it was to encourage her to surf.. That’s what she thought at least._

  
  
  
  
  
  


*I recommend you listen to ‘Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation* 

She didn’t feel the cold air as the winds picked up, strong enough to thrust the coming waves to go higher and make the tree’s around them shake. But, it didn’t budge her. 

The glowing of her ring matched her eyes as she kept walking forward, hands to her sides as her feet walked on the large rocks, her heels scraping at each step as she was bare footed. 

The moon was in its brightest blue color, awakening the feeling inside her chest. 

  
  


**_“Ooooooohhhhh ohhh ohhhhhhhhhh”~_ **

More than one voice was singing. She could hear them. 

She may not see them,but she could hear them.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Here she was. At the end of the rocks, where the ocean collided. The feeling in her heart was growing stronger as the ocean came closer.

She looked out into the sea, seeing the waves thrashing around like a wild mustang trying to be tames. 

She kneeled down, sitting close to the edge as the ocean kept hitting the rocks. 

With her hand that held her father’s ring, she reached it down and let her hand slip in the water. 

If you saw it, you wouldn’t believe it before your eyes, as the ocean water started to glow around her hand. Her eyes closed, taking the cold air in her lungs. To her though, it was as if she was getting high. She felt her body become shocked in something like pleasure, almost making her toes curl. 

She heard the callings again, hearing them like a melody. 

**_“Oooooohhh oooohh oooooooooohhhhhhh”~_ **

The waves around her still glowed. Her eyes opened for a moment as she looked out at the sea. 

_The calling has come to her awakening. Now, make your song. Call for the one who will become yours._

**_Find your spark._ **

  
  


Mind you, she is still under the phase of her new awakening.(we’ll call it that for now) 

She closed her eyes again, making her calling.

**_“Aaaahhhhhh aaaaahhhhh ahhh ahhhhh”~_ **

  
  


Her voice had never been heard before in such a melody. Below the sea, many were becoming alarmed to her calling. 

  
  


**_“Aaaahhhhhh aaaaahhhhh ahhh ahhhhh”~_ **

She kept singing her call, trying to reach someone.. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  


Far beyond the seaside where they could hear the callings of their distant neighbors. The Auto-fins could hear them too.. 

  
  


But, Bumblebee only heard one calling..

His antenna-like ear fins perked up in alarm, jolting him awake as he heard her song. 

There was no doubt about it. It was her.

Bee knew it was around nightfall, and there was never a moment in his time with Charlie that they met around this time. Dark was usually a time Decepti-claws would come out. 

But if Bee could hear Charlie, then so could they. 

The thought of someone else getting to her brought fear in his heart, and anger.

He wouldn’t waste a second more as he sprung from his home, swimming out the cavern and heading towards one of the entrances. 

  
  


He felt his spark starting to become stronger when he heard her voice calling. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Optimus”! 

The said whale turned his head towards the other. He watched as IronHide and Arcee were swimming towards him. 

“What is it”?

“Sir, it is a blue moon tonight. The sirens have risen from the sea and are making their callings..”.

He looked concerned, knowing it was a dangerous time for them to rise from their cove. 

Even with the Decepti-claws..

“We have guards already posted around our entrances. No one is getting out tonight”. 

“..Yellow-fin”

“Sir”?

There was a change in his eyes,thinking of his fellow comrade. His behavior, the constant sneaking out of territory. 

“Yellow-fin, where is he”?

“He was last seen in his cavern home”, Arcee spoke. 

“See if he’s still there, I fear he has already been affected by the Siren’s calling”.

They swam off to Bee’s home all together.

If what Optimus said is true, they needed to find him before the worst comes. 

  
  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  


They say the song of a siren is so beautiful, you can’t help but fall under their spell. 

Stories are true that sailors were lost at sea because of sirens calling their names. How they lured in humans with a song, pulling you under the sea and then sinking their fangs into your neck.. 

What? No, I didn't get this information from Pirate’s of the Caribbean..

  
  
  


Their calling was more than a spell though. 

On a blue moon, Sirens rise up from their cove’s, singing a song from their hearts to call out for someone who shares their song. 

The same thing applies to Sparks. 

  
  
  
  


Bee was racing through the currents of the ocean, his spark getting stronger. 

  
  


He heard her voice getting louder.

**_“Aaaaahhhhhhhh aaaahhhhh ahh aaaaaaahhhhhh”~_ **

  
  


He was almost there. 

  
  


**_“Ooooohhh ooohhhh”~_ **

  
  


He could see others swimming towards the direction he was going. 

Their scent was one thing he didn’t like about them…

**_Male._ **

  
  


A glint of red shined in his eyes as he darted towards them, hissing and swinging his tail. They’d hiss back, trying to press forward towards Charlie’s calling.

Bumblebee wasn’t backing down. 

Charlie was his and he wasn’t going to give up. 

_“Back. Off”!_

His dark aura must have scared them because they swam away. 

Soon, he looked back towards the direction he was heading to. 

Hearing her song, pulling him in closer.

  
  


**_“Aaaaaaahhhhhh aaaaahhhhh aaaaaaaahhhhhh”~_ **

  
  


Here he was, close to the rock she was on.

Even below the waters, to Bumblebee, she was something of beauty he can't describe. 

As he emerged from below his eyes met hers. 

His spark felt like it was shining from his heart, 

and her heart could feel it.

  
  


This moment, they felt each other's love. 

  
  
  



	11. Taking a small break

Hello readers, 

Sorry to make this update short, but I have a lot going on in life and it’s been causing a lot of stress for me. Being the holidays and all, I always get stressed with things I need to do, along with drawing some art projects I had planned and need to make their deadline :( 

Forgive me, but I’ll try to update as soon as I can. 

Thanks for reading and enjoying this story so far :) it makes me happy to see you guys enjoying this. 

See ya guys soon!


	12. Sparks

_**The water is alive.** _

_**Once you dive in, it will immediately bare its fangs and attack.** _

_**But, there's nothing to fear. Don't resist the water.** _

_**Thrust your fingers into the surface and carve an opening.** _

_**Then you slide your body through that opening.** _

_**Moving your arms, your head, your chest…** _

  
  
  


It wasn’t quick, but it was sync. 

The moment her hands were on his face, he brought on of his own to her neck and held the back of it. 

She was the one that pushed forward, letting him sink as they both would soon collide with the water. 

  
  


Bumblebee was in his own trance, seeing the one he dearly loved coming below the surface with her. 

Her eyes were still locked in his, as he held her and let a current guide them. 

If Charlie was out of the spell, she’d think she was in the world's largest aquarium. 

Life below the sea swam around. 

Big fish, little ones. 

She moved closer, his hands guiding her to. 

Her arms would wrap around his neck,gripping to keep herself onto him. 

Bumblebee snaked his own around her, her small body compared to his didn’t surprise him. 

“...”, she couldn’t speak words as they were below. Yet, she could still hear the songs of sirens from below. How it was now clearer than hearing their howls. Hearing actual words be spoken,but she couldn't understand them. 

  
  


This is real, he thinks. She’s here, with me.. In my world. 

This was a moment he didn’t want to forget. 

It wasn’t long till he felt his backside gently collide with the reef below, hitting the sand as a cloud of sea dust erupted around them. He still held her close, his tail fin moving to level them out. 

Charlie’s hair was flowing with the water, a few strands flowing by her face. 

Bee would give a smile, brushing them off. He wanted to see her face. 

She leaned in his touch, her cheek pressing into his palm. 

This was the moment. 

He wanted to say something. All these years of being afraid to speak, he wanted her to hear his voice first. 

He was going to do it.

Now or never. 

“M-“

He didn’t say a word. 

Caught off guard by her action as she pressed her lips to his.

In his world, there were many ways to show affection. But not one like this. If he could compare anything, it would be “love bites”. 

But, this felt different. He didn’t know what to do, but found himself holding the kiss. 

Her lips were soft, warm even. 

Her hand moved up, cupping his cheek. Lips moving as she deepened the kiss. 

His hands moved along her body, being careful his claw like fingers didn’t scratch her skin. In her clothing, it felt different than her swim suit she wore. 

To him, her skin was soft. Unlike his, it felt rough then smooth. Unlike a fish with scales. 

He felt warmth as they continued to kiss. 

And he wanted more. 

His eyes opened, pulling away from their lip lock only to put his mouth against the skin of her neck. 

Bubbles left her lips of air as if she moaned, feeling his fangs almost prickling her skin. 

This feeling was becoming intense. Gripping onto him as he kept making small marks on her. His hand on her back where the other supported her head. 

His spark was glowing, feeling hot from his chest. 

She felt something similar in her heart. Their eyes glowing, feeling each other’s love. 

He wanted more..

“...”!

His antenna fins spiked up when he heard the calling. His head lifted as he could hear the others calling for him. 

No,.. 

He wanted them to go. But, as he looked at Charlie, he could see more clearly. She was under water, had been for a long time now. 

She wasn’t human, but she still lacked the ability to breathe underwater..

  
  


He could see the others coming forth, getting closer to him. 

  
  


“...”, he looked to her, bringing her close once more, his head resting on hers. 

She could feel his pain at this moment, not wanting this feeling to end. 

_“Bumblebee..”~_

  
  


It was clear, hearing her voice in the water. 

A melody to his ears. 

  
  


He could see Jazz and Arcee getting closer. 

He knew what would come of this.. 

  
  


He swam up, wherever they had sunk from, bursting up from the water and breaking the surface. 

The storm had stopped, but the winds were still coming strong. 

They had moved from the rocks and were back at the dock that was close to her home. Holding her with one arm, he lifted them up and got himself high enough to lay her on the wood. Puddles of rain still sitting as she laid there. 

She started to look tired, but awake enough to keep her hand on his face. 

“.. _Bu.. bee_..”, came out weak. Her face was flushed, the glow fading from. Her eyes as the moon was being covered in dark clouds. 

“.. “, he gave a melodic tone as he leaned in, his forehead touching hers. 

He didn’t move away till he tried attempting a kiss, only more of his pressing his mouth to hers. It wasn’t like the one she gave him, but it still felt soft. 

  
  


She was awake long enough to hear,

  
  


_**“.. Charlie”** _

  
  


He slowly pulled away and dove back down into the water. Her hand that was reaching out dropped, fingers hanging off the edge of the dog as her eyes closed. 

  
  


It was over. 

  
  


The ring wasn’t glowing any more. 

  
  
  
  
  


Getting back in the ocean, he kept gazing up at the surface from where he took her. 

It wasn’t okay.. This wasn’t-

He wanted her WITH him! Living with him in the sea. 

  
  


While thinking all this, he didn’t see Arcee dart towards him. She slammed Bumblebee to the reef, holding him down. 

“Yellowfin, what have you done”!

  
  


He struggled against her hold. He heard the anger in her voice. 

“What did you do to that human? Did you Sparkbond”?!

“Hey, give him some room”, Jazz spoke up. He pulled Arcee off of Bumblebee, who kept his gaze down as he brushed off the broken coral pieces on himself. 

“He was acting a fool, Jazz! Yellowfin didn’t think of the danger he was putting himself, and our pod in”!

Bumblebee started to feel a torch of anger in him.

“I think he knew what was going on-“.

“And how do you know that?! He doesn’t speak a word to any of us”!

Anger was rising..

“Even so, Yellowfin-“

“..Bee..”

They stopped speaking, looking towards him.

  
  


“What..”?

  
  


They could see the blue in his eyes show a hint of red. His anger manifested. 

  
  
  


“I.. Am.. _**Bumblebee**_ ”. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. Tears and Ocean water

**_All I want is to feel the water. With my skin, my eyes, my soul…_ **

**_To never doubt what it makes me feel. Believe in myself. Don't resist the water._ **

**_Welcome it. We accept one another._ **

  
  
  
  
  
  


It wasn’t easy to process. How this all happened and how everything came to be what it is today. 

For a moment, Charlie remembered the feeling of cold. There was warmth, but then it became cold. Even as she was unconscious, feeling these things, she was awake in feeling. 

The warmth was when she was in the sea. When she felt his lips on hers. 

Then came the cold when she felt his touch leave. When she felt the burst of the water and the solid hold of a flat surface she was placed on. 

Everything after that was just cold. 

The bitterness of salt water was coating her mouth and lips. How her skin felt dry like sand. 

Yet, she wasn’t on a hard flat surface any more. 

It was more of something stiff, but soft. Like a bed. 

Her body felt cold, but there was some warmth. Probably from the many layers of blankets that were on her. 

She thought she was home. Maybe someone in the neighborhood found her on those docs, brought her home, and her mother came back and treated her before hypothermia took over. 

But her room didn’t have constant beeping alarms playing after every 5 seconds, not even from her own alarm clock. 

It hurt to open her eyes, having to adjust to the light in the room. 

The headache and blurry vision almost simulated the same symptoms of a bad hangover. Charlie has only experienced such a feeling once in her life. 

Her vision was slowly coming together, making out the room.

It started to make sense now, the short alarming noises and the bed with blankets. Now seeing the room with pale yellow walls around her, a window of the outside showing more buildings and a grayish sky, and the tube in her arm. 

  
  
  


_ The hospital.  _

  
  


She predicted that someone found her and brought her here. Maybe it was Memo? Or maybe it was one of the sailors checking on their boat once the storm had died down. 

She still felt cold. Maybe she wasn’t warm enough even with all the fabric blankets on her. The only thing she tried to remember was what drove her to go out to the ocean and take a dip. 

  
  
  


She took a sudden realization. 

  
  


_ His lips. _

She felt her cheeks partly turn red in a blush, remembering herself under some sort of trance or sleep walk that drove her outside, and.. singing? Leading towards Bumblebee and- 

“Charlie”! 

The hearing of her name snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned her head to look, but was already being pampered with soft warm hands culling her cheeks and touching her forehead for a temperature, along with light butterfly kisses plastering on her face. 

A mother’s love is strong when their child is in a hospital. Especially if your mom is a nurse. 

“Oh, Charlie..”, Sally muttered. 

Seeing her daughter awake and breathing was enough to ease her. At least there were no signs of phenomena or anything else that would be bad. Just relief that her daughter was awake. 

  
  


“Mm..”.

Charlie was still in the phase of waking up, which is why she had trouble trying to speak and to move more than her fingers. 

She felt the warmth of her mother’s kisses, making her face feel less cold. 

  
  


She was awake and alive. That’s all that should matter, right?

  
  


_ Right..? _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Charlie was taken home later on that day, moreso around 5 PM just as the sun was heading down to set. Sally kept trying to talk to her, asking the million questions “are you okay”,”does it hurt anywhere”,”do you need something to keep you warm”?

  
  


She just stayed in silence. 

She didn’t want to say anything. Not yet. 

  
  
  


Even when they arrived home, she just walked herself to her room. Sally tried to stop her, but was paraded by Ron trying to ask questions himself. 

  
  


She didn’t stop, her feet kept moving on their own till she reached her bed and practically threw herself in it. In this case she’d throw on her headphones and blast her music, practically deafening her hearing. 

But everything just felt numb.. 

She just laid there, looking out the window of her room and watched the sky go by. 

  
  
  


The clouds. The darkness taking over the sky. The sound of the boat horns and the waves crashing.. 

  
  


She was numb.. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  
  


Worry was always a regular look on Optimus’s face. 

In the return of the others, he could see their expressions. Bumblebee, having guilt and anger mixed in. It was as of his assumption of him having a potential mate was correct and his anger is from their separation. Guilt from being caught.. Arcee must’ve given a rough up, explaining the scratches on his back and dorsal fin. 

Yet, Arcee had an expression of disappointment. She was in the feeling too deep, seen by her harsh grip on her spear. 

Jazz had an expression similar to Arcee’s, but also looked like he was in a state of shock. 

  
  
  


Answers were needed. 

  
  


Optimus swam over. 

  
  


“Yellowfin, go see Ratchet”. 

The said one didn’t argue or make a change in his expression. Just did as he was told, swimming to the direction of Ratchets cavern. 

Optimus watched the dolphin swim off before he’d look to the other two. 

“Tell me, what happened”? 

  
  


Jazz would look to Arcee, who kept her head down. It was unlike her to do something as such, even in the presence of her leader. 

Was she ashamed? 

Jazz would speak, and his words would very much bring a surprise to Optimus. 

  
  
  


**“He said his name was Bumblebee”.**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  
  


The sky still showed a darkness of color as sunset was taking over. Only, no sun was seen. It was more of a blueish-grey sky with many clouds. 

It’s what Charlie saw, still in her room after the hospital. 

She moved to the window, looking out to the ocean. 

  
  


Listening to a million songs and all her albums of  The Smiths , and yet her mind was still on Bumblebee. 

No longer was he the odd dolphin-like creature she befriended. Just thinking of a detail or memory of him brought a feeling to her heart, making it pound in a rhythm like marching drums. 

She was wearing her favorite oversized sweatshirt she got for participating in a surfing competition held at her hometown beach. It was grey with a white logo print of the sponsored event. She also wore some shorts she would usually wear as pajamas. 

Even whilst she thought of Bumblebee, she also tried to remember why that event happened. Charlie knew better than to go out to a storm like that, even if she was going to be rebellious and take a surf in the storm waves. 

Everything just seemed like a memory fuzz. She could only remember seeing Bumblebee for a moment before-..

She hugged herself, her heart racing her again and her cheeks feeling warm as she blushed. She remembered it all from there. 

How the kiss was long, and how it felt so warm. How much she loved it when he made small nips at her neck, feeling a hit wave of an emotion bursting in her body. 

How he kissed her before he dove back in the water after putting her on the deck. 

Her memory was in a mix, but she kept swearing to herself he spoke to her. Words. But.. it was only her name she could remember. 

She pulled the collar of her hood, feeling herself become warm. 

“...”, she huffed hot breath, getting a short feeling of pleasure trying to pulse. 

  
  


_ Control yourself, Charlie..  _

Getting up, she made her way to the kitchen. The need for a glass of cold water should help her cool off from this. Even if her mind was still on Bee, she needed to start thinking clearly. 

  
  


This wasn’t her first kiss, but it felt like it deserved to be considered. 

Turning the corner of the hallway, she came to her destination. Her feet took a few steps on the cold wood flooring, stopping when she took notice of her mother sitting at the table. 

Sally was alone, looking at a photo album. It was old, having creases in the frame, and some chipped leather of the booklet making it look all patchy. 

  
  


“Mom”? 

Hearing the unexpected voice of her daughter made Sally jump a little. It snapped her out of the trance from the old photos. 

“Charlie”, she said, “you’re up. Are you okay”? 

Charlie gave a nod, having her hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt, she pulled one out and gestured it to the fridge. 

“Just.. wanted some water”. 

Sally nodded. “Let me get it”. 

“Oh, mom, it’s alright-“

“No, you sit. Please”. 

Sally didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, already grabbing a glass and pitcher. 

Charlie gave a gentle sigh, not wanting to have bothered her mother to do this. She made her way to the small kitchen table, which was round. 

She sat in the chair next to Sally’s, looking at the albums of photos. 

“You were looking at our old photo album”? 

“Yeah”, she answered, putting the water pitcher away. “I felt like.. looking at them. Seeing you all little and playing in the sand..”. A gentle smile was in her face as she walked back to the table. She placed the glass to Charlie, who took it and gave it a couple of sips. 

Sally sat back in her chair, turning a few pages. They showed old photos and Polaroids of a toddler Charlie Watson. Some of Sally with her at the beach. And of course, photos of her dad. 

Charlie smiled, looking at them. 

She gave a soft laugh, looking at a few. “The trip to Disneyland..”.

Sally looked at the cluster of photos that were together, laughing as well. “Oh, I remember those days. You and your dad got sick from the churros after you went on the teacups”. 

“Should have known that spinning fast would also make your stomach turn”. 

They shared a laugh. 

“I tried to warn your dad”. 

“I bet you did. You had to take us to the hotel after”. 

Sally smiled, “I think I enjoyed us riding the Flying Dumbo’s than the Teacups”. 

It had been a long time since the two talked about the past. Even the good memories. 

“Yeah.. those were fun days..”. 

Sally turned the page, having them laugh again. They were looking at a photo of Charlie burying her dad in the sand and Sally drew a mermaid tail around him. 

“I remember this! It was my 5th birthday, and dad fell asleep”. 

“I remember you pouting because he promised to build a sand castle with you, so you just dumped sand onto him till it covered his legs”. 

Charlie laughed, “you were the one that put those shells on his chest to pose as a mermaid bra”. 

Sally smiled, looking towards Charlie. “Yeah, I did..”. 

They looked at the pictures of him. Seeing him smiling, teaching Charlie to swim, holding Otis when he was born.. 

Sally was smiling, but her eyes still had some sadness in them. “Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him..”. 

She looked to her mother who said this. 

“Even after marrying Ron”? 

“Honey”, she looked at Charlie. “I loved your dad more than anyone I had loved before.. Even when I was with Ron. And he knew how important your dad was to me, and he stayed around to help me through the grieving.. that’s why I also love Ron”. 

  
  


Charlie couldn’t argue. Ron was never to be a replacement for her dad. It was just love. 

“.. I’m sorry”. 

Sally looked at her. “What are you apologizing for”? 

“For.. those times I was a jerk to him, thinking you had him around to replace dad. That, I thought you were moving on to quickly..”. 

Sally took Charlie’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “I know hun. I’m sorry I didn’t help you through your pain in this.. after the accident, I know it was traumatic on your part.. even with your panic attacks..”. 

Her free hand rested on her side, over the scar she had from that day. 

“Even with the therapy, I still can’t get in a car..”. 

“I know.. “. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Mom…”?

“Yes”, Sally answered. 

  
  


“.. a-am I sick”? 

“What? What makes you say that”? 

  
  


_ I want to tell her.. _

“.. Me, on the dock. I-I don’t remember how I got there.. I just remember going to fix a loose board, then I saw outside and-... it’s like I was under some-“.

“Phase”. 

She looked at her mom. How did she know that was the feeling? 

“Yeah.. that-.. h-how do you know”? 

  
  


Sally had this new look in her eye. Like, she was going to say something, knowing it would change everything. She reached in the box of photo albums, pulling out a small treasure chest with a lock on it. 

“.. Your father made me promise not to tell you till it happened”, she mumbled. 

  
  


Her dad? What?..

“What are you talking about”? 

  
  


Sally pulled out a key that was taped to the bottom of the chest, looking like a skeleton key with a metal symbol of a seashell on top. 

Putting it in the lock, she turned the key till there was a  _ ‘click’ _ , opening the wooden box. 

Inside was a bunch of letters tied together, some photos, and other small items. 

  
  


“.. Charlie, I know this will come to a shock, but your dad didn’t tell you something about him”. 

Charlie started to feel herself become scared. It’s like a scene in a movie where the family learns a dark secret about someone they know. 

  
  


Sally handed the old photographs to Charlie to look at. 

They were photos of a much younger looking Sally and him. At first glance. 

  
  


“The truth is, he was more than your dad.. he was-“

“ **A mermaid** ..”. 

Charlie stared at the photos of Sally with her father. Only, her dad was sitting on a rock with a fish tail. The photos behind it were more of Charlie’s dad in his ocean form. 

Her heart started to pound, racing in the shock she was under. 

“It.. yes, but his kind were called Sirens..”. Sally could see the shock in Charlie’s face. Watching her frantically start flipping through all the photos. 

“Honey, he was going to tell you, but you weren’t 18 and you didn’t show any signs of-“

“Wait”, she stopped her. “Are you saying.. that I’m..”

Sally went to run her shoulder. “I know, it sounds crazy. But this is the truth, hun. And I-“ 

“This can’t be real”, she pulled away from Sally’s touch. “No.. w-why? I don’t understand..”, the panic started to get stronger. 

“Charlie, don’t panic”.

“How can I not, mom?! My life has been a lie? Why did dad keep this from Otis and I”?! 

“He was going to tell you”, she stood up. “He had a plan”- 

“When?! Why couldn’t you tell us sooner? Why did he tell us at all”?! 

**“Because he died, Charlie”!!**

  
  
  


The room fell silent for a moment. Charlie stared at her mother, feeling herself about to cry at this point. 

“He died! He wanted to tell you but he didn’t know if you or Otis would be like him”! 

“..”, Charlie stepped back. “That night.. I.. I..”. 

“Charlie”, her mother stepped closer. “What happened to you that night”?

  
  
  


She couldn’t say..

She was having a hard time processing everything. 

  
  


Was that why she kissed Bumblebee? Because she was under some phase of her turning? 

She couldn’t think, and darted towards the back door. 

“Charlie”!! 

  
  
  


She didn’t stop, rushing out into the cold weather and ran. Sally followed out, trying to see where she was going. But Charlie didn’t stop. She didn’t care that she was bare footed, running in the streets and heading to one place. 

  
  
  
  


**The pier.**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The place was closed. Charlie stood there, the edge of the pier where you could jump out into the water. It was a spot usually for locals to jump to swim in the ocean and scuba school to check out what’s below. 

  
  


She felt like she was having a crisis. She couldn’t get the images out of her head. All of them. The photos. The moon. Bumblebee. 

  
  


She looked over, seeing a couple of surfboards in a bunch at a closed stand. 

  
  


It’s a bad idea, she thinks. 

  
  


_ It’s a bad idea..  _

_ It’s a stupid idea..  _

_ You’re not stupid..  _

_ So don’t think it..  _

  
  
  
  
  


A board hit the ocean, floating in the waves. 

She could care less that she wasn’t in her swim where. She didn’t care that she was in normal clothing and underwear underneath. 

She took a step back, then lunged forward and dove into the water. 

  
  
  
  


_ I’m surfing..  _

  
  
  
  


This was an absolutely terrible idea. 

In weather like this and waves becoming rough, she could get hurt. 

But who did she care about? 

She rose from the water, swimming over to the board she was stealing, and went to surf. 

  
  
  


Holy hell was she stupid.. 

  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  
  


Bumblebee was in his nest, curled up. He thought of Charlie.. obviously. 

But he also felt guilt. 

He really didn’t think this through.. 

Was he really putting his pod in danger? Risking it all for one-.. 

“Ch-..”, he gripped his arms. It still hurt to try and speak. He let out a huff, bubbles dancing up to the window of his cavern. 

But he knew what happened was something that felt right. To him. 

  
  


And yet, he didn’t-..

His antenna perked up, feeling the warm sensation in his chest. 

  
  


_ “Charlie”? _

She was in the water? But, it’s dark. She’s never-.. 

What if it was happening again? What if she’s under another one of the Siren trances? 

He worried about the danger she was in. Yet, sneaking out would be troubling..

_ “I’m not staying here..”,  _ he thinks to himself. 

A rush of determination came through as he swam out his home, heading to one of the gateways out his home. 

Surprised he didn’t get caught by any guards that were posted around. 

  
  


Once he was out, he sent for Charlie. 

He had a feeling she was in need.. 

  
  
  


He would be right.. 

  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  


The wave crashed, knocking her off the board. 

Charlie swam up, bursting out the water and gasping for air. 

She groaned in frustration, getting herself back on the board. Her hands turned to fist as she slammed them on the board. 

“Come on”! 

Her shouting was loud, but the waves were louder. 

She was completely drenched, her hair pulled back from the water. She had some leaves of seaweed stuck to the hood of her sweatshirt and in the pocket too. 

  
  


She knew this was stupid. This wasn’t safe. 

  
  


She just wanted to do something to get all this chaos off her shoulders. 

She could see it, another wave approaching.

“.. this one”. 

She laid on the board, using her arms as she swam forth to the large wave that was coming. 

The moment was coming. 

In her head she was screaming. Telling herself,  _ “stop! This isn’t right! You know this isn’t”!  _

But she kept seeing the photos. Hearing her mother’s words. 

She reached it.. 

_ He’s a merman..  _

She turned, letting the wave pick her up, having the board move with the wave.. 

_ He’s a Siren.. _

She stood up, riding into the coming tunnel.. 

_ “He wanted to tell you..” _

  
  


She tried keeping her balance, riding into the harsh tunnel, her board bumping from the waters pressure.. 

**_“He died”!!_ **

  
  
  
  


She fell.. 

She was under the tunnel, the board floating off with the wave. 

She was under the water, and.. she let herself sink. She could see above, watching the waves. She wasn’t too far below, allowing the coming waves to carry her. They wouldn’t take her into the wave, but push her towards the direction. 

She didn’t feel herself suffocating.. 

she couldn’t breathe, and she tried. But her lungs were filling with water. 

She got her sense knocked back. Realizing where she was, she swam up a bit, almost to the surface.. yet, she wanted to let her frustrations out.. 

  
  


She gripped her arms and chest, taking her breath she held and tried to scream. 

Under the water, and it worked. 

Fish that were below in the reef could hear her. Her scream rang out to parts of the ocean.. 

  
  


Then, she swam up.

  
  


Bursting above, she gasped, taking in air and coughed the salt water that was trapped in her lungs. She looked around her, not finding the board. 

She found a large rock area she could swim to, which she did. 

  
  


Diving below, she swam. 

She was fast, believing the years of swim lessons and high school diving taught her this. Or maybe it was natural, being the daughter of a sea human. 

Merman.. Siren.. whatever. 

  
  


She reached the rock, picking herself up and sitting atop the flat surface of it. There was starfish on it, and small creeks of water in the gaps. Waves crashed the rock from behind, splashing her as well. But she could care less.. 

  
  


She shivered, but not from the cold. Her wet hair was hanging all over, parts covering her face. 

She pulled her knees close, her chest heaving as she felt the tears rolling down. They mixed with the water that dropped from her head. 

  
  


She cried, and cried.. 

  
  
  


_ Why didn’t you tell me before I lost you, _ she thought.. 

_ Dad.. why..? Why did you let this happen?  _

  
  


A warm feeling started to come from her heart, feeling it become stronger. She ignored it, thinking it’s her emotions getting her. 

  
  


But realized it wasn’t when she felt a familiar touch on her legs.. she looked up, seeing him. 

  
  
  


Bumblebee was in a short pant, having rushed to get to her in his swim. It doubled his heart racing.. 

  
  


Charlie didn’t move, but kept crying. 

This was hurting her and him. 

  
  


Bumblebee lifted himself to her height, his arm on the rock, the other moving up from her leg to her face. His large hand cupped her cheek, letting her tears touch his palm as she sobbed. 

  
  


_ What’s wrong,  _ he wanted to say. 

She knew he was saying it either way.. 

She was drenched head to toe.. tears and ocean water. 

“.. I don’t want to be here”, she says. 

Hearing that made him sit up. 

“.. I don’t want to be here”, she said again. 

_ Where do you want to go? _

She looked at him. 

“I-I don’t want to be here, Bee..”. 

Her voice was shaking, needing him to do something. Help her.. 

  
  


He realized she couldn’t move. She was in a rough state of emotion, and felt weak from them. 

He understood.. thinking for a moment on what he could do. 

Then, he thought.. he knew a place he could take her. 

  
  


She felt the tears still falling down her cheek as he moved closer. He looked like he was leaning towards her to kiss, and.. she wouldn’t mind it. She would want it too. 

  
  


But he didn’t. Instead, he nuzzled himself in the crook of her neck, his free arm wrapping around her and pulling her closer. He dragged her off the rock, pulling her in the water, and kept her close. 

He swam on his back a bit, keeping Charlie in his hold. One arm holding her as the other helped him guide himself to swim. 

  
  


_ Trust me.. _ he wanted to say aloud.  _ Please Charlie.. let me help you..  _

She could sense it, what he was planning. She sniffled, putting her arms around his neck and shoulders. 

With that, he slowly turned her to his back, and dove down into the water. 

Charlie took a long breath, and planned to hold it in for a long time. 

The sky was dark in grey clouds and night. Made Bee upset he couldn’t show her the great big world of the ocean sea. 

  
  


But, he swam fast. Making sure Charlie still had a strong hold on him, he swam. 

  
  
  


And he wasn’t going to stop till he reached the place he was taking her. 

And it wasn’t home.. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
  
  


“Are we going to inform them”? 

The voice was low, and gave a dark impression. 

  
  
  


“No”, another spoke, female and also in a dark tone. 

“Megatron would only give this order to another disgraceful subject of his.. “. 

She swam around, watching from afar as she and her partner saw an Auto-fin with a human swim off to some rocks and disappeared in between them in a cavern. 

“There’s no exit from there. Do we take him and his pet”? 

  
  


“You lack a plan.. “, she says. Her lion find spiked up, a deep purring hitting her throat as she smirked. 

“We now have an advantage here.. and once we get our claws on that human being, we use her to our advantage.. King Megatron will be rather impressed that we managed to get through the gates of an auto-fun homeland.. and slaughter them all”~ 

“What of Optimus?”, they asked. “I wouldn’t mind killing him for Megatron, but-“ 

“Patience”, she says. The red glowed in her eyes. 

  
  


**_“First, we need that human.. and I know how we can get them”._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Merbee AU by Yoakiyume https://youkaiyume.tumblr.com/post/185566659718/lol-guess-whos-super-late-to-mermay
> 
> All credit goes to her for the idea and artwork she has made.  
> Idk how long this will go for, but I hope you guys enjoy! :)


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